PARIS: Humanitarian organisations on Friday (Jul 7) condemned plans by the United States to supply controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine, citing the long-lasting danger posed by the weapons which leave behind unexploded bomblets.
"This is a death sentence to civilians over the long term. There are people who have not yet been born who will fall victim" to cluster bombs, said Baptiste Chapuis of Handicap International - Humanity and Inclusion (HI).
Days ahead of a NATO summit in Lithuanian capital Vilnius next week, the American move comes as allies cast around for further assistance to offer Kyiv as its counteroffensive against Russian invaders has been slow to make major advances.
When they detonate, cluster bombs spread dozens of tiny bomblets over an area the size of several football pitches, with a large number burying themselves in the ground rather than exploding.
The weapons therefore effectively leave a large field of antipersonnel mines in their wake - prompting a wave of condemnations even before the American delivery was confirmed.
"The USA's plan to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine is a retrograde step, which undermines the considerable advances made by the international community in its attempts to protect civilians from such dangers," Amnesty International researcher Patrick Wilcken said in a statement, saying the aid group "urges the USA to reconsider".
In military terms, cluster bombs allow a belligerent to strike a large enemy formation at a single blow, to deny the use of an airfield's runway or halt an enemy's advance with widespread mines.
But they make no distinction between civilians and military personnel, with experts suggesting between 5 and 40 per cent of bomblets do not explode on impact, remaining present on the battlefield for decades.
Beyond the immediate physical danger posed to civilians, "there is also the question of physical access to affected areas for humanitarian organisations", HI's Chapuis told AFP.
The bombs' use can "prevent a lifeline reaching affected populations", he said.
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvdWtyYWluZS11bml0ZWQtc3RhdGVzLWNsdXN0ZXItYm9tYnMtYWlkLWdyb3Vwcy1jcml0aWNpc2UtZGVjaXNpb24tMzYxNDc1MdIBAA?oc=5
2023-07-07 23:18:00Z
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