"Landmines are the thing for defense in the future. We have covered the works with them and they have done much execution.".
-General Gordon, British Army, 1884.
General Gordon's analysis of landmines in the future has proved to be startlingly true, but it's hard to imagine Gordon or anyone else for that matter predicting that most landmine casualties would be innocent civilian's decades after the mines were planted. The modern mine was created during WWII with the development of 16 different anti-tank mines, and 10 anti-personnel mines. Since these first mines were planted in the earth's soil and waterways millions of people, mostly civilians have been killed and maimed. Along with the physical harm to humans, the environment has been dramatically altered in the areas where mines are present. .
The major problem with a mine is that it is a killer that will not discriminate. A mine can be tripped by the foot of a soldier, the snout of cattle, or the hand of a child. It will kill all three equally. It is estimated that 71 people die every day from mine explosions. Some are killed instantly; others bleed to death hours later. In Cambodia there are more mines than people and it is not uncommon to see whole families of amputees. Once the mines are positioned it is almost impossible to track exactly where it is. Mine fields have caused the troops placing them to retreat because of their inability to determine where they are. Areas that have been found to be laden with landmines have forced whole villages to leave their land behind and move into larger towns and cities. This greatly throws off the social and economic balance in the areas where these refugees move too. Most are farmers or herders and have no skills other than agricultural which makes it almost impossible to find work. .
With over 110 million landmines buried in the earth's soil around the world there is undeniable environmental damage being done.
