Libya: war’s unexploded remnants still threaten

23-08-2012 Photo gallery

Some ten months after the end of the conflict, several cities and areas are still littered with unexploded shells, ammunition and mines – known collectively as explosive remnants of war, or ERW. Much has been cleared, but much more has still to be removed to make these places safe. Since April 2011, the ICRC's explosive ordnance disposal teams have cleared almost 11,000 unexploded devices and have removed small arms ammunition from Ajdabiya, the Nafusa mountains, Bani Walid, Brega, Sirte, Misrata, Zwara, Regdaline and Tripoli. Together with the Libyan Red Crescent, the ICRC is now focusing on teaching people about the risks associated with explosive remnants of war. At the same time, the ICRC is working closely with the Libyan authorities to ensure that clearance work continues effectively in Libya, by supporting their efforts to collect and manage casualty data and advising them on how to develop local capacity to address this humanitarian problem.

- Bir Al Ghanam, western Tripoli, Libya. An ICRC explosive ordnance disposal operator investigates a hole containing an unexploded shell at a mosque in October 2011.
  © ICRC / P. Bjerde
- Bani Walid, Libya. A 130 mm rocket went through the wall of this school in November 2011 – without exploding.
  © ICRC / P. Bjerde
- Sirte, Libya. 615 items of unexploded ordnance and 2000 rounds of small arms ammunition are destroyed in a controlled explosion.
  © ICRC / J. Antunes
- Nalut Central Demolition Site, Libya. The explosive ordnance disposal team leader prepares an assortment of unexploded shells for demolition in February 2012.
  © ICRC / P. Bjerde
- Central Demolition Site, near Tripoli, Libya. An ICRC explosive ordnance disposal team works with the Libyan military council to destroy unexploded ordnance in the presence of the Libyan police.
  © ICRC / X. Hu
- Sirte, Libya. Hosam plays with his mobile phone. He lost three fingers and two toes playing with an unexploded device.
  © ICRC / X. Hu / v-p-ly-e-00320
- Fatema Al Zahraaa primary school, Az Zawiyah, near Tripoli, Libya. Children learn about the risks associated with unexploded remnants of war from Libyan Red Crescent Society volunteers, supported by the ICRC weapon contamination team, in March 2012. The city was the scene of fierce fighting during the recent conflict, and large quantities of unexploded ordnance are still lying outside the city, waiting for clearance.
  © ICRC / X. Hu

Libya: war’s unexploded remnants still threaten

23-08-2012 Photo gallery

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