Karabakh Legacy Ravages Armenian Children

During the war, approximately 900 square kilometers of the conflict zone were sown with landmines. The International Committee to Ban Landmines, citing Armenian government estimates, says up to 80,000 landmines in an around Karabakh remain unaccounted for. Many maps of minefields have simply been lost. In other instances, no maps or records of minefield locations were ever created.

These mines pose the greatest danger to children, who do not recognize the danger that they pose. Unused weaponry also threatens children who treat them as toys, or even as potential sources of income. For example, two years ago in the Taush region's village of Sev Kar, nine-year-old Djivan Dallakian and a friend tried to procure the blue metal from a tank shell to sell for scrap. Djivan's friend perished from the explosion. Djivan was seriously wounded and still suffers from headaches and nightmares.

Not far from the village of Aygeovit, the Armenian army removed artillery from a military base but left shells behind. For several years afterward, teenagers "extracted" material from these shells for use in making fireworks or firecrackers. In December 1997, four classmates found dozens of shells and set about preparing a holiday fireworks show. After an errant hammer blow, one boy died and two lost their legs. A fourth underwent multiple leg surgeries in Yerevan.

Carelessness by adults often exposes children to risk. In 1996, 13-year-old Mikhael Yeghonian found a detonator from a hand grenade along the road in the Taush region. He toyed with the detonator before the device exploded in his hand, tearing off his fingers. The detonator had reportedly been discarded on the street by someone from the village. Many people, fearing or mistrusting the authorities, throw their weapons away rather than hand them over to the army or police.

Neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan has signed the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, and Armenia has said that it will not do so before Azerbaijan does. Some emphasized the idea that de-mining might contribute to a weakening in the country's defense. In 2002, though, Yerevan moderated its stance [For background click here].

Ronco, a Washington, DC-based consulting firm, has helped the Armenian government establish the National Mine Action Center in Echmiadzin, where sappers are now trained. Yerevan hosted an international de-mining conference in October 2002, with the assistance of the Canadian government, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

These policy developments may help raise awareness in Armenia about the landmine threat. However, public policy advocates are also calling for a nationwide educational program specifically targeted for children. Without such educational efforts, the list of victims of a long-ago war will continue to grow.