There is one land mine for every 12 children in the world. Land mines kill or injure 26,000 people each year. Roughly 13 per cent are soldiers, about 4 per cent are demining personnel, and the remaining 83 per cent are civilians. The United Nations estimates that 30 to 40 per cent of the civilian victims are children. There are many reasons why children are so often killed or maimed by a land mine.
Children are naturally curious and are drawn to objects that look like toys.
Despite denials by land mine manufacturers, land mines are often attractive and enticing in color and shape. In some places, an unexploded ordnance becomes the object used in children s games. Efforts to educate children on what a land mine looks like are severely hampered because there are literally hundreds of models. Many land mines have written cautions or may be placed in areas marked by warning signs, but often children are unable to read the warnings. Most civilian victims come from the poorest segment of society.