Lebanon has not signed
the Mine Ban Treaty and it showed little interest in the Ottawa Process. While
it did not attend treaty preparatory meetings early in 1997, the government came
to the Brussels conference in June 1997 but did not endorse the pro-treaty Final
Declaration, nor did it participate in the treaty negotiations in Oslo. It
attended the Mine Ban Treaty signing conference in Ottawa as an observer.
Somewhat surprisingly then, Lebanon voted in favor of all three key pro-ban UN
General Assembly resolutions in 1996, 1997, and 1998.
At the Brussels Conference in June 1997, the Lebanese government
representative said, “At the moment, Lebanon cannot sign any treaty that
has negative implications on national resistance against Israel in South
Lebanon.... Lebanon suggests that the Treaty must contain clear items taking
into consideration the self-defense principle, the state of occupied territories
and the legal rights of member countries of the United Nations. But, a
non-signatory state should not be deprived of any assistance in support of
demining and other related mine related actions. Lebanon will sign the Treaty
whenever Israel
withdraws.”[1]
The Foreign Ministry reiterated the government’s position in December
1998: “Lebanon agrees to and appreciates all noble principles and
objectives of the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty. However, Lebanon did not sign the
Treaty due to the Israeli occupation of West Bekaa and South Lebanon. Israel is
still laying landmines in South Lebanon. Lebanon sees that all countries,
signatory and non-signatory, should benefit from assistance in mine clearance
and mine action.”[2]
While this official position is clear, discussion about the landmine issue
and the Treaty inside the country is beginning to take place. On 11-12 February
1999 the “Regional Conference on the Menace of Landmines in the Arab
Countries” took place in Beirut. Organized by the non-governmental
Landmines Resource Center in collaboration with the Lebanese Army, the
conference was supported financially by Canada, Norway, the United Kingdom, the
ICBL and other organizations.[3]
The conference brought together representatives from the governments and armies
of a large number of the Arab countries, in addition to the ICBL and other
non-governmental organizations from Arab and non-Arab countries, and
international organizations such as UNICEF and the UNDP.
The Conference sought to begin developing collaboration and coordination
among various parties on issues related to landmines and their eventual
elimination. These issues included the exchange of data and information; a
better understanding of the needs of mine-affected communities; advocacy and
building public awareness; mobilizing and expanding resources; as well as
expanding and institutionalizing commitments. The emphasis was on the
importance of involvement and partnership among all concerned –
particularly with community members and the armed forces –to develop a
sustainable framework to achieve these goals. The final statement called for
more financial assistance and support for mine action programs, but did not
mention the Mine Ban Treaty.
Lebanon is a non-signatory of the 1980 Convention on Conventional
Weapons.
Production, Transfer, Stockpiling, and Use
Lebanon is not believed to have either produced or
exported antipersonnel mines. There are no formal restrictions on production or
trade in place. During the war, the government of Lebanon imported mines from a
number of different countries. The United States sold Lebanon 5,352 M18A1
Claymore antipersonnel landmines in
1983-84.[4] Details on other
suppliers are not available. The Lebanese Army has a stockpile of antipersonnel
mines, but the size and composition is unknown.
In the ongoing conflict in south Lebanon, mines continue to be used by both
Israel and non-state actors. In February 1999, Lebanon accused Israel of laying
landmines along a fence in the village of
Arnoun.[5] The Israel/Lebanon
Monitoring Group is examining the matter. Non-state actors in Lebanon, notably
Hezbollah, have used both mines and improvised explosive devices, some of which
may have been manufactured locally, and others obtained from external sources.
It is likely that various armed groups in Lebanon have their own stockpiles of
mines. It has been reported that Hezbollah’s arsenal includes landmines,
though more frequently it has used improvised explosive
devices.[6]
Landmine Problem
Lebanon is recovering from fifteen years of civil
conflict (1975-1990). The fighting involved many armed forces and factions,
foreign and domestic -- both government and non-state actors. At one time or
another, virtually all parties to the conflict used landmines. Fighting--and
mine use--continues in Israeli-occupied southern Lebanon.
Estimates of the number of mines and minefields in Lebanon vary greatly, and
in most cases, the figures cited do not include mines in southern Lebanon.
According to the United Nations, there are approximately 8,795 landmines in the
ground in Lebanon,[7] but the
U.S. State Department gives a range of between 8,795 and 35,000 landmines in
Lebanon, in some 182
minefields.[8]
The Lebanese Army has said that “Lebanon is asking the world’s
assistance in clearing the more than 200,000 Russian, U.S., Chinese, and Israeli
landmines littering the
country.”[9] But at the
Regional Conference in February, the Army estimated that there are 681
minefields containing 28,508 mines, with another 868 suspected minefields
containing 28,500 mines, excluding the Israeli-occupied regions of the South and
West Bekaa.[10] Mines can be
found in both urban and rural areas and there are virtually no
maps.[11] In 1997, the Army
said that the most endangered region is the eastern Bekaa Vally, where about 11
tons of mines and UXO are scattered in 70 square kilometer area inhabited by
20,000 people.[12]
As of July 1995, the following areas still had uncleared landmines:
1) Beirut - along the “green line,” the old demarcation line;
2) North Metn - Wadi Jamajem, Sanine, Ain Teffahah, and Zeghrine;
3) Upper Metn - along the old demarcation line of Krayeh, Raas El Harf, and
Aarbaniyeh;
4) Kessrouan - Ouyan Al Siman and Wadi Jeiita;
5) Byblos and Batroun - along the old demarcation lines (Ferghal, Bekhaz,
Chebtine);
6) Chouf - along the old demarcation lines (Chahar Gharbi, Dayr al Kamar, and
Barouk);
7) Souk el Gharb - along the old demarcation line (Souk el Gharb, Kayfoun,
Kmatiyeh, Aytat, Bsaba and Maaroufiyeh);
A mine survey was conducted in December 1996 through a project of the
Lebanese Ministry of Public Health and the Association for the Welfare of the
Disabled and the Elderly in Rashayya and West Bekaa. The project was
implemented with technical and material assistance from the World Rehabilitation
Fund. Other non-governmental organizations and community-based groups
participated actively. The survey confirmed the seriousness of the landmine
situation in Lebanon.
Mine Clearance
In Lebanon, mine clearance is carried out
exclusively by the Army. It reports that from the end of the war in 1990 to
June 1995, some 298 minefields were cleared and 15,250 AP mines
destroyed.[14] The U.S.
Department of Defense is providing support for the creation of the National
Demining Office in the Lebanese Army, including training, equipment and
operational costs. U.S. commitment to that project is
US$6,134,000.[15] The French
Army is also involved with technical assistance to the Lebanese Army. In
addition, France has been involved in mine clearance around its embassy.
The number of trained clearance professionals in the Army is not adequate,
which, coupled with limited material resources, hinders demining operations. As
in too many countries in the world, clearance operations are also affected by
incomplete information as to the size of the problem and the exact location and
dimensions of all minefields. The terrain of Lebanon presents an additional
difficulty and challenge; rocky mountainous terrain hampers all clearance
efforts. Mine clearance teams suffered many casualties when they tried to first
neutralize the mines in place and then remove them to be destroyed by explosives
in a central location. Whenever possible, mines are now destroyed in place with
explosives.[16]
The Army has found the following antipersonnel mines in the process of mine
clearance: PRBM35 and PRBNR413 (Belgium); TYPE72A (China); PPMISR (Czech
Republic); APEDF1, APDV51 and APDV59 (France); GYATA (Hungary); N4, N10 and
M12A1 (Israel); VS50 and P25 (Italy) MAPS (Portugal)POMZ2, PMD, PMD6M, PMN2,
PMN6 and MON-50 (Russia); FFV013 (Sweden); M14 and M18
(USA).[17]
Mine Awareness
Mine awareness and related education was very
limited until the initiation of the World Rehabilitation Fund project in June of
1998. Until then, mine awareness activities included a poster designed, printed
and distributed in 1996 by the Welfare Association for the Disabled and the
Elderly in the area of West Bekaa; a conference in 1997 to disseminate the
results of a survey of mine victims in the area of West Bekaa; a national
conference in February 1998; and limited community meetings and meetings with
decision makers. In addition, the ICRC has been active throughout Lebanon,
distributing 50,000 pocket calendars and 300 wall calendars in support of the
landmine campaign in 1997. Hezbollah members were among the
recipients.[18]
In 1998, USAID approved $600,000 to support of a project of the World
Rehabilitation Fund. The publicity campaign, “Preventing landmines
Injuries and Managing The Social Burden Of Landmines In Lebanon,” targets
schools, public meetings and municipal
councils.[19] This project has
resulted in a remarkable increase in the number, scope and coverage of mine
awareness activities implemented with NGO and community-based organizations.
Activities include: community meetings, lectures, workshops and discussion
sessions; posters, brochures, booklets, pamphlets and other widely-distributed
printed materials; and radio and television programs. Target populations are
groups at risk of injuries because of residing in mine-infested areas or in
areas close to minefields. Particular attention is focused on children and
individuals involved with farming related activities. The National Demining
Office has cooperated with these mine awareness activities and has produced two
posters and one pamphlet related to the issue.
Landmine Casualties
Information about landmine casualties is
incomplete and often unavailable. The first formal attempt to gauge the
magnitude of the problem was a survey of victims conducted in fifty-two villages
in the Region of West Bekaa near the end of 1996. The survey exposed many facets
of the problem and gave a feel of the overwhelming resulting socio-economic
burden.
The National Prosthetics and Orthotics Technical Unit of the Ministry of
Health, established in 1995 in collaboration with the World Rehabilitation Fund,
indicates that more than 35% of individuals in need of prosthetic and orthotic
devices and services are survivors of landmine injuries. The Ministry of Health
has estimated that over a 15-year period landmines have killed 189 people and
disabled 212 others.[20]
Available data shows that injuries due to landmines and unexploded ordnance
occurred in different parts of Lebanon with clustering in regions of the South
and West Bekaa where it is estimated that 60% of the injuries are due to
unexploded ordnance.[21]
The Landmines Resource Center is currently spearheading and coordinating a
nation-wide door-to-door survey in an effort to gain detailed understanding of
the profile of victims and survivors, the nature and location of injuries and
related needs. The survey was initiated late in August 1998 and results are
expected by the second half of 1999. At this stage, the Landmines Resource
Center is able to report the following:
* it is currently estimated that there are more than 1,200 mine survivors,
including children and adults,
* injuries are still occurring at an average rate of one per week, with a
higher proportion of males than females.
* there is one death for every one surviving injured person,
* there is around one landmine related injury (survivor/victim) for every 250
individuals in “risky” areas,
* the majority of survivors were injured while engaged in agricultural
activities in the immediate vicinity or within walking distance of their homes.
Landmine Survivor Assistance
Programs to assist survivors, families of victims
and mine-affected communities are scarce. Various social welfare, assistance and
development programs, and activities implemented by governmental bodies, NGOs
and community-based organizations attempt to meet these needs, but the programs
are inadequately funded and limited in scope and range of services.
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), under the auspices of the
Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund which provides prostheses to mine victims,
provided to Lebanon a total of just over $2 million dollars 1989 and 1991
fund.[22]
The Lebanese Government supports programs of the Ministries of Health and
Social Affairs, but funds are extremely limited, and dedicated programs are
non-existent.
First aid and emergency care are not readily available, and often absent,
particularly in rural areas where injuries in farmland is common. Emergency
transport is deficient as well as the skills of those providing first aid.
Additionally, the skills and knowledge of “front-line” surgeons in
medical and surgical management of landmine injuries is limited. This has an
adverse impact on limiting the damage secondary to injury and results in delays
and complications in rehabilitation services, particularly when there is need
for prosthetic and orthotic devices.
Rehabilitation and social integration services targeting survivors are
limited and mostly restricted to physical rehabilitation services. There are
thirty-four prosthetic workshops in Lebanon and survivors receive a prosthetic
from the Ministry of Health through a contracted workshop. Programs addressing
the psychological needs of survivors are practically non-existent. Also, there
is limited awareness among victims of available assistance and rehabilitation
programs, particularly in rural areas. There are no known outreach programs.
Survivors and their families have to seek services and have to cross and handle
many barriers in the process. Services targeting families of victims are
practically non-existent. The only related services are those targeting
orphans.
[1]Letter from Thafer Al
Hassan, General Secretary of the Foreign Ministry of Lebanon, read by Lebanese
representative at the Brussels International Conference for the Total Ban on
Antipersonnel Landmines, 24-27 June 1997.
[2]Letter from Thafer Al
Hassan, General Secretary of the Foreign Ministry of Lebanon to Landmine
Monitor, Beirut, 18 December 1998.
[3]ICBL representatives were
able to meet with Prime Minister Hoss, who did not move beyond the official
position. There also were informal discussions with members of parliament and
the business community, and also the opportunity to speak with various military
informally. In these settings, it was possible to de-link somewhat the MBT from
Israeli occupation. Some noted one important issue was the position of Syria
vis-a-vis the Treaty and that Lebanon would take its lead from Syria. Some
military privately voiced support for a ban, but noted it was too early to
publicly say so. (Landmine Monitor intervew with Jody Williams, ICBL Ambassador,
29 March 1999.)
[4]U.S. Army, Armament,
Munitions, and Chemical Command (USAMCCOM), Letter to Human Rights Watch, 25
August 1993, and attached statistical tables.
[5]“U.S. Department of
State - Press Statement by James B. Foley, Deputy Spokesman,” M2
Presswire, 25 February 1999.
[6]See, for example, Edward
Ezell, Small Arms World Report, Vol 4, No. 4 (December 1993), p. 26
[7]United Nations, Country
Report: Lebanon, at
http://www.un.org/Depts/Landmine/country/lebanon.htm.
[8]U.S. Department of State,
Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Hidden Killers: The Global Landmine
Crisis, (Washington: Office of Humanitarian Demining Programs, 1998), p.
A-2; Hidden Killers, July 1993, p. 116; Hidden Killers, December
1994, p. 21.
[17]Lebanese Army report,
given at the Regional Conference on the Menace of Landmines in the Arab
Countries, Beirut, 11-12 February 1999. A somewhat different list of mines
found in Lebanon can be seen on the UN website at
http://www.un.org/Depts/Landmine/country/lebanon.htm
[18]International Committee
of the Red Cross, Annual Report 1997, 1 June 1998.
[19]Nicholas Blanford,
“US Backs New Campaign to End the Lethal Land Mine Scourge,” The
Daily Star (Lebanon), 5 September 1998.
[21]Survey of landmine
victims conducted by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health and the Welfare
Association for the Disabled and the Elderly, December 1996.
[22]Portfolio Synopsis:
Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund, United States Agency for International
Development, October 1997.
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