Cambodia has one of the highest numbers of landmines and unexploded devices in the world. After three decades of Civil war, the country is still scarred, strewn with countless numbers of mines and UXO’s. According to CMVIS in 2003, 753 People were killed or injured by landmines and UXO. It is estimated that there are still between 4 – 6 million mines left, but an accurate figure is impossible to determine.

In recent years Cambodia has worked to alleviate the problem and protect the people from being harmed or endangered by mines. Since 2000, the Cambodian Red Cross has carried out a Community Based Landmine Awareness Project with financial support from the Finnish Red Cross/Finnish Government until the end of 2004.

The CRC Landmine Awareness project started as a pilot project in 5 high risk land mine districts in 5 provinces, including the city of Pailin, one of the most heavily mined areas in Cambodia. Having completed the two year pilot phase, the project continued to be implemented on a bilateral agreement between the CRC and the Finnish Red Cross with the Federation Cambodian Delegation acting as witness.

Since then, the project has been expanded to three districts in the O-Dormeanchey Province – Samrong District, Banteay Ampil District and Chong Kal District.

The main aim of the Cambodian Red Cross landmine awareness program is to change the behavior and attitudes of the community - not just give information. Of the 753 mine/UXO casualties in 2003, 241 people reported their activity as tampering with a mine/UXO, 116 were travelling and 97 were farming.

The fundamental purpose of programme is to assist high-risk community groups in learning how to deal with daily life in mine-affected areas and developing safe behaviors towards the threat of anti-personnel landmines and UXOs. This is done through training the communities about issues including: mine recognition, UXO recognition, what to do if they find a land mine (9 Steps to Land Mine Awareness), the consequence of mine and UXO injury, superstition and bravery, how to travel in unknown areas, areas likely to be mined, mine warning signs, how to evacuate from a mined field and how to report a mine or UXO.

Click to view the 4 Steps to Land Mine Awareness Guide.

GOAL
Reducing Landmine/UXO victims by promoting humanitarian values in the community.


OBJECTIVE

I.	I. To maintain and develop a sustainable Community Based Landmine/UXO Risk Education Project by strengthening form NHQ to the branch and community levels.
II.	II. To reduce the risk of civilian casualties in mine-contaminated locations through strengthening communication methodologies that adopt safe behaviours/practices by improving the capacity building of RCVs and RCYA and RCY members in mine-affected areas on how to avoid mine-related incidents, so they can pass this LMA information on to other members of their communities.
III.	To maintain and improve a public information campaign to raise awareness among mine/ UXO affected communities.

NETWORK

At present there are 500 Red Cross Volunteers and 1050 Red Cross Youth working in 6 Target Provinces along the Thai/Cambodia Boarder; including 45 Red Cross Youth Advisors disseminating Land Mine Awareness throughout the community- in schools, in the field, at home, in groups - through media, especially targeting newcomers to the highrisk areas. With Buddhist monks also helping communicate the messages to the community.

CHALLENGES
Despite successful implementation, the Community Based Landmine Awareness Projects funding from the Ministry of Finland through the Finnish Red Cross (2000-2004) is due to end in May 2004. The Cambodian Red Cross is seeking further funding to continue landmine awareness training for thousands of vulnerable people and emergency assistance for victims.