Cluster Munition Use in Georgia ‘Worse Than Was Reported’
Human Rights Watch says that an assessment mission to Georgia found that cluster munition use in the war with Russia was worse than reported by the media.
A clearance organization reported dud rates — i.e. how many cluster bomblets failed to explode on impact, leaving de facto landmines — of up to 35%.
“The duds have not only killed and maimed civilians, but they have also caused people to lose harvests, and therefore their ability to feed their families,” they said. “Many duds remain hidden in fields of cabbages, tomatoes and other crops, and farmers fear going into their fields.”
Click here to read Human Rights Watch’s report.
For more information on cluster munition use in Georgia, see my previous posts by clicking here. To learn more about the impact of cluster munitions, see my video interview with Handicap International’s Ed Kenny. To read a recent statement by African countries calling on states to sign the Cluster Munition Convention, click here.