Gulu District Landmine/ERW Victims Survey Report May 2006 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 SELECTED DEFINITIONS FROM IMAS GLOSSARY ---------------------------------------------- 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ------------------------------------------------------ 10 1.1 Presence of mines/ERW in Northern Uganda ------------------------------------ 10 1.2 Rationale and Objective of the research. ------------------------------------------ 11 2. RESEARCH METHODS AND OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------ 12 2.1 Study design and Population ---------------------------------------------------------- 12 2.2 Survey preparation and Training ----------------------------------------------------- 12 2.3 Sample size -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 2.4 Data collection --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 3. RESULTS AND FINDINGS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 3.1 Study Profile ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 3.2 Demographic characteristics --------------------------------------------------------- 14 4. DISCUSSION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 4.1.1 Activity at time of incident -------------------------------------------------------------- 15 4.1.2 Location of the incident ---------------------------------------------------------------- 16 4.1.3 How often did the victim go there? --------------------------------------------------- 17 4.2.1 Why did they go there? ---------------------------------------------------------------- 18 4.2.2 Did the victim know the place was dangerous? ---------------------------------- 19 4.2.3 Were there reports of warning signs? ---------------------------------------------- 19 4.2.4 What was the device that caused the incident? ---------------------------------- 20 4.2.5 Injuries Vs Deaths ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 20 4.3 Where was the location of death? --------------------------------------------------- 22 4.4 Description of health facility ---------------------------------------------------------- 22 4.5 Conclusion and Recommendations ------------------------------------------------ 23 5. APPENDICES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 5.1 List of medical facilities that treated victims --------------------------------------- 25 5.2 List of IDP Camps ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 27 5.3 Landmine Victims data collection forms -------------------------------------------- 28 5.4 Map of Acholi land showing prevalence of mines -------------------------------- 30 5.5 Map of Gulu District Administrative Units ------------------------------------------ 31 5.6 Map of Gulu District IDP Breakdown ------------------------------------------------ 32 2 ILLUSTRATIONS Graphs Graph 1: Number of mine victims from 1986 to 2006---------------------------------------- 10 Graph 2: Details about victims based on sex -------------------------------------------------- 14 Graph 3: Age of victim at time of incident ------------------------------------------------------14 Graph 4: Age/Sex of victim at time of incident ------------------------------------------------ 15 Graph 5: Location of the incident -----------------------------------------------------------------17 Graph 6: Why the victim went to the location of the incident ------------------------------ 20 Graph 7: Injuries Vs Death ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Graph 8: Victims with single injury--------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Graph 9: Victims with Multi injury ---------------------------------------------------------------- 33 Charts Chart 1: Activity at the time of the accident --------------------------------------------------- 16 Chart 2: How often did the victim go to the incident location ----------------------------- 18 Chart 3: The device that caused the incident ------------------------------------------------- 20 Chart 4: Location of death ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Tables Table 1: Category of people interviewed ------------------------------------------------------ 12 Table 2: Profiles of Counties sampled ---------------------------------------------------------- 13 Table 3: Description of health facility ----------------------------------------------------------- 23 Table 4: Mines and ERW recovered ------------------------------------------------------------ 34 Photos Photo 1: Mines are most time planted in places that target civilian---------------------- 17 Photo 2: Mine warning signs ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This survey was conducted in the Northern Uganda District of Gulu, from October 2005 to February 2006 by Gulu District Local Government Departments and AVSI Gulu field office. AVSI would like to thank all the victims and survivors of landmine and ERW (explosive remnants of war) in Gulu District. AVSI is grateful to those survivors that participated in this survey for their time and patience. We hope that the findings of this survey will have a beneficial impact on their livelihoods. This survey would not have been possible without the support and collaboration of Gulu District authorities, sub-county officials, camp leaders and their assistants and others. We thank them all for their precious collaboration, hospitality and help. Furthermore, this exercise would not have been possible without the continuous and constant encouragement of all members of Gulu Mine Action Coordination group. We would further like to acknowledge the vital contribution of the UPDF and Police in training data collectors. We are grateful for all your support. A special thank to all the data collectors and interviewers for their good work. Finally we thank ECHO for funding this survey that is the first of its kind in Acholi land. 4 List of Abbreviations/Acronyms AVSI Associazione Volontari per il Servizio Internazionale APM Anti Personnel Mine ATM Anti Tank Mine DDMC District Disaster Management Committee DPO District Population Officer DRO District Rehabilitation Officer ECHO European Commission Humanitarian Office EOD Explosive Ordinance Disposal ERW Explosive Remnants of War GUSCO Gulu Support the Children Organisation ICBL International Campaign to Ban Landmines ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross IDP Internally Displaced Person IED Improvised Explosive Device IMAS International Mine Action Standards IMSMA Information Management System for Mine Action LL Lower Limb LMS Land Mine Survivors LRA Lord’s Resistance Army MRE Mine Risk Education NGO Non Governmental Organisation UL Upper Limb UNDP United Nations Development Programme UPDF Uganda Peoples Defence Forces UXO Unexploded Ordnances VA Victim Assistance 5 SELECTED DEFINITIONS FROM IMAS GLOSSARY Booby trap an explosive or non-explosive device or other material deliberately placed to cause casualties when an apparently harmless object is disturbed or a normally safe act is performed. Community liaison a process designed to place the needs and priorities of mine affected communities at the centre of the planning, implementation and monitoring of mine action and other sectors. Demining activities that lead to the removal of mine and ERW hazards. Explosive ordnance all munitions containing explosives. This includes bombs, mortar, warheads, and rockets. ERW explosive remnants of war. Fuse a devise which initiates an explosive train. Hazard potential source of harm Mine munition designed to be placed under or on or near the ground or other surface area to be exploded by the presence, proximity or contact of a person or a vehicle. Mine accident an incident away from the demining workplace involving a mine or UXO hazard. Mine action activities that aim to reduce the social, economic and environmental impact of mines and UXO. Mine sign a sign which, when placed as part of a marking system, is designed to provide warning to the public of the presence of mines. MRE a process that promotes the adoption of safer behaviour by at risk group Munition a complete device charged with explosives, propellants, pyrotechnics, initiating composition, or nuclear, biological or chemical material for use in military operations, including demolitions. (NB: in common usage munitions can be military weapons, ammunition and equipment). Submunition any munition that, to perform its task, separates from a parent munition. Mines or munitions that form part of a cluster bomb, artillery shell or missile payload. Survivor/victim an individual who has suffered harm as a result of a mine or UXO accident. Unexploded ordnance explosive ordnance that has been primed, fused, armed or otherwise prepared for use or used. It may have been fired, dropped, launched, or projected yet remains unexploded either through malfunction or design or any other reason. 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY