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Each day, around the world, 70 people die as a result of landmines. The vast majority of these victims are innocent civilians, mostly women and children. Millions more are held hostage by these hidden killers, afraid to venture from their homes, unable to plant their fields, or even walk to school or to the clinic.
CARE's landmine awareness and de-mining programs seek to disarm these weapons and give people the freedom to move about without fear and the ability to follow their dreams without danger. For more information about CARE's de-mining activities and land mine education programs and the organization's public policy campaign against land mines, please read on...
The Problem
 Worldwide, landmines are a problem of epidemic proportions. There are more than 70 million landmines strewn across 69 countries of the world and each year, an estimated 26,000 people are killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). Landmines are designed to maim rather than kill. They are designed to destroy body parts from the waist down; to emasculate, to take off a leg or foot.
While landmines are produced as "weapons of war," in fact, only 10 percent of landmine victims are soldiers. Ninety percent of the victims are women and children, innocent people mowed down as they seek to go about their everyday lives, collecting water, walking to school, or harvesting their fields.
These indiscriminate killers lurk in wait for years, or even decades. Egypt still has about 22.5 million landmines left over from World War II, and live mines and UXOs continue to be discovered in Berlin.
Landmines also have a paralyzing effect on poor communities. They cut off access to markets, schools, water and farmland. They not only terrorize, but they impede development, holding people hostage and hindering their efforts to survive and improve their lives.
CARE's Response: Disarming Hidden Killers
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