Munitions dumped at sea have caused deaths and injuries to Italian fisherman in the Adriatic and cost others the majority of the year's profits. A fishing ban in the Adriatic, extended once, is projected to last until August 31 to allow minesweepers to collect more unexploded devices. In addition, tourists have abandoned the beaches along the Adriatic coast for fear of encountering unexploded bombs. While the problem of cluster bombs and unexploded ordnance is of concern in Kosovo, U.S. officials claim that the problem is not as severe as after previous conflicts, such as the Gulf War. A Human Rights Watch report says that of an estimated 24 to 30 million bomblets dropped during the Gulf War, between 1.2 and 1.5 million did not explode, leading to 1,220 Kuwaiti and 400 Iraqi civilian deaths.
Cluster bombs are on a long list of weapons that many people and organizations want banned.
But achieving a ban will take time. In the short term, as part of strong mine awareness campaigns, civilians need to be taught to recognize the unexploded canisters and individual bomblets and instructed to stay away from them. Funding must be provided for victim assistance programs to deal with the horrific injuries caused by these devices. Finally, finding and neutralizing unexploded ordnance must be a top UN and NATO priority, for in the absence of a concerted effort the legacy from these weapons will last well into the next century.