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Ukraine conflict | ICBL-CMC Condemns Alleged Cluster Bomb Use and Civilian Harm

FEBRUARY 25, 2022

(Geneva) – The International Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munition Coalition (ICBL-CMC), of which Humanity & Inclusion is a founding member, strongly condemns the alleged use of cluster munitions yesterday by Russian forces in the Ukraine conflict, and the death and injury of civilians, as reported by The New York Times and other sources. ICBL-CMC is alarmed by the threat of further harm to civilians including humanitarian mine action partners, following yesterday’s largescale escalation by Russia.

We call for an immediate halt to use of the internationally banned weapon, and urge all parties to guarantee protection of civilians, respect for international humanitarian law, and the international norm banning use of cluster munitions and landmines.

Cluster munitions were previously used in the conflict in Ukraine between July 2014 and February 2015, though the extent of existing contamination is unknown. Cluster munitions are indiscriminate weapons that overwhelmingly kill and injure civilians, and leave a deadly legacy of contamination threatening lives and hindering recovery for years to come.
Russia remains outside of the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Ukraine has not joined the
Convention on Cluster Munitions, though it is a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty.

ICBL-CMC works for a world free of landmines, cluster munitions, and other explosive remnants of war, where all lives are protected. A world where contaminated land is cleared and returned to local populations for productive use and where the needs of affected communities and survivors are met and their human rights guaranteed.

Interviews available

  • Anne Héry | Advocacy Director
  • Alma Taslidžan Al-Osta | Disarmament and Protection of Civilians Advocacy Manager

Please contact Mica Bevington ([email protected]) or Lucy Cottle ([email protected]) to arrange. 

About ICBL

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) is a global network of non-governmental organizations, active in some 100 countries, that works for a world free of antipersonnel landmines, where landmine survivors can lead fulfilling lives.

About Humanity & Inclusion

Humanity & Inclusion is an independent international aid organization, working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster for 40 years. Working alongside people with disabilities and people living in situations of extreme vulnerability, our action and testimony focus on responding to their essential needs, improving their living conditions, and promoting respect for their dignity and basic rights. Humanity & Inclusion is one of six founding organizations of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), the co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997.

Humanity & Inclusion has set up development programs in more than 60 countries and intervenes in numerous emergency situations. The network of eight national associations (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States) mobilizes resources, jointly manages projects, and increases the impact of the organization’s principles and actions.  The organization has numerous prizes to its name, including the 2011 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, the 1996 Nansen Prize, and two 2020 European Union Horizon Prizes for innovation. Humanity & Inclusion acts and campaigns in places where “living in dignity” is no easy task. 

 

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