Printed from: www.icbl.org/Work/MBT/Victim-Assistance
Nesim Oner, from Diyarbakir, Turkey, was injured in 2004 after playing with a mine while shepherding his family's sheep. He lost one eye and one of his hands, and he was unable to attend school for two years. Photo: Ahmet Sik
The Mine Ban Treaty is the first multilateral disarmament treaty to call upon states to take responsibility in assisting victims of a particular type of weapon. Article 6(3) of the treaty requires that "each State Party in a position to do so shall provide assistance for the care and rehabilitation, and social and economic reintegration, of mine victims..." The ICBL advocates for this promise to become a reality for hundreds of thousands of mine survivors, and for their families and communities.
States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty have agreed that mine victims are all "those who, either individually or collectively, have suffered physical, emotional and psychological injury, economic loss or substantial impairment of their fundamental rights through acts or omissions related to mine utilization." This includes all those injured or killed by mines, their families, and affected communities.
In addition to overcoming physical trauma, mine survivors struggle to achieve social acceptance, gain meaningful employment and ensure their rights are respected. Mine survivors and other people with disabilities are among the most impoverished groups in every society. Funding for victim assistance remains insufficient and programs inadequate in all but a handful of mine-affected countries.
In 2009, the ICBL and ICBL victim assistance focal points in some 26 countries have joined forces with the research team from Handicap International-Belgium to provide an opportunity for the voices of survivors, their families and communities to be heard. Voices from the Ground - Landmine and Explosive Remnants of War Survivors Speak Out on Victim Assistancereports on the achievements and challenges of the past five years of victim assistance and ways forward. The report was released in September 2009.