Three Darfur children maimed after playing with bomb

Three children from North Darfur were severely injured on Sunday when a bomb they found at the roadside exploded. A relative told Radio Dabanga that Amina Abdulah Salem (12), her sister Hawa Abdulah Salem (10), and Khaled Isa Mohamed Musa (9) of Anka in Kutum locality found the bomb and began to play with it. “When it detonated, Amina’s hand was blown off. She also suffered severe head wounds. Hawa also lost a hand, and has multiple wounds over the rest of her body. Khaled also suffered severe head injuries.” The witness confirmed that in the area northeast of Kutum, there are unexploded bombs dropped from a Antonov aircraft, as well as large quantities of other unexploded ordnance (UXO) near Anka, Um Sidra, Donki Ba’ashim, and Musbad. They demanded the UN and Unamid expedite the clearing of UXO from the area. This tragedy is the third of its kind in less than a month. Last week, three children died, along with the cattle they were herding, in East Jebel Marra. Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that a powerful bomb, suspected to be a remnant of almost daily aerial bombardments of the area, “tore the children and cattle to shreds”. On 28 March, also in East Jebel Marra, 12 camels died and ten other animals were wounded when several 500 mm-long ‘missiles’ exploded. Years of conflict have left Darfur littered with potentially deadly explosives and munitions (UXO). Radio Dabanga appeals to listeners in East Jebel Marra and throughout Darfur (and elsewhere in our reception area) not to touch any ‘unexploded’ grenades or other ammunition found in the field. Mark its position clearly to alert others, and report it immediately to a camp sheikh, Unamid and/or the local police. Main image above: This unexploded mortar shell is still deadly! Gallery below: 30 January 2014. El Fasher: This display of explosive ordnance disposals at the Unamid headquarters in El Fasher, North Darfur, is just a tiny sample of debris of war that litters Darfur (All photos by Albert González Farran/Unamid)The distinctive stabilising fins of an aircraft bombSteven Harrop, Unamid advisor for weapons and ammunition management, is pictured next to an unexploded aircraft bomb Related:Unexploded ordnance kills three children in Darfur’s East Jebel Marra (13 April 2014) Explosion kills livestock; Jebel Marra residents fear UXO (28 March 2014)