Serbs still in danger from NATO cluster bombs
Thousands of civilians in Serbia remain in danger from unexploded cluster bombs left over from the 1999 NATO bombing of the country, according to a new report released Tuesday by a humanitarian aid group.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The study by Norwegian People's Aid says cluster bombs are scattered unevenly in 15 municipalities where 160,000 people live.
Half of those people are in direct danger from the bombs, said Miroslav Pisarevic, who took part in the project funded by Norway's Foreign Ministry. Serbia needs about euro30 million for a clean up, the report said.
Fired by artillery or dropped by aircraft, cluster bombs are canisters that open in flight and eject dozens or hundreds of small bomblets. But some fail to explode immediately, lying dormant for years until they are disturbed.
"Those cluster bombs are a permanent threat," said Pisarevic. He said that 27 people were killed by the cluster bombs during the NATO raids, while 152 were wounded.
After the war, four more people died from unexploded cluster bombs, while eight more were wounded, Pisarevic said.
Last year, 93 countries signed an international treaty urging a ban on cluster bombs, destruction of stockpiles and assistance to the victims.
