Cluster Bombs
Cluster munitions or cluster bombs kill and injure civilians at the time of use because they indiscriminately scatter explosives over such a wide area. Many of the bomblets or submunitions fail to explode on impact and, like landmines, remain on the ground to kill and injure civilians long after conflict. 98% of deaths caused by cluster munitions are civilian. One third of these are children*.
What are cluster bombs?
Cluster bombs are weapons that include cargo containers and submunitions or bomblets. The cargo containers are fired, launched or dropped by aircraft or land-based artillery. The containers open over a target area and disperse large numbers of the submunitions or bomblets that are designed to explode when they hit the target. Most of these submunitions are fragmentation weapons that include a shaped charge so that they are effective against soldiers as well as armoured vehicles. The vast majority of cluster munitions contain hundreds of submunitions that are unguided and that cover one square kilometre with explosions and shrapnel.
Why are they a problem for civilians during war?
Cluster munitions pose a problem for civilians because they cover such a wide area with explosions and shrapnel. The ‘footprint’ of a cluster munition can be up to one square kilometre. This means that when they are used in or near populated areas they cannot distinguish between military targets and civilians located within the area. Most modern conflicts have involved considerable fighting within urban settings. Most modern military forces include cluster munitions as a major component of their war fighting strategy. This means that cluster munitions are likely to cause serious problems for civilians during future conflicts.
Why are they a problem for civilians when conflicts are over?
Because of the large number of bomblets in each weapon and the number that fail to explode as intended, areas bombarded with cluster munitions become contaminated. These unexploded bomblets can explode when children pick them up and play with them, they can explode when people hit them with a tool while farming and sometimes they are sensitive enough to function like a landmine. The presence of such unexploded weapons puts lives at risk for a long time after a conflict.
Useful links:
Fatal Footprint: The Global Human Impact of Cluster Munitions
* Report by Handicap International Fatal Footprint: The Global Human Impact of Cluster Munitions
