For years ICRC medical staff have voiced their abhorrence of the effects of anti-personnel landmines. For ICRC surgeons, who treat such injuries daily, these are among the most horrendous of war injuries. According to one study, nearly a quarter of the war casualties treated by the ICRC are mine victims. Many mine victims, usually civilians, never receive any medical care. In some areas, half of all victims are believed to die within minutes of the blast.
Few victims receive proper rehabilitative care.
Victims often become a burden to their families and communities and are forced to beg on the streets in order to survive. Since 1979, the ICRC has manufactured more than 120,000 artificial limbs, which is nowhere near enough. In addition, many more are needed to help mine victims reintegrate into their communities. The ICRC will continue its support of health facilities treating patients injured by mines. This will involve direct assistance to first-aid posts, hospitals, surgical programs, and prosthetic and orthotic workshop projects.