The situation

Victim assistance is a fairly broad field that encompasses various successive and simultaneous activities involving different categories of specialists. Its purpose is to reintegrate victims into their social and professional environments. The main stages should be:

  • first aid and hospital care,
  • psychological and social support,
  • economic or professional reintegration,
  • the development of national legislation on victims of unexploded ordnance and raising awareness in society of the disabilities involved.
  • Survivors of mine accidents suffer lifelong consequences (amputations, blindness, deafness, etc.). In countries where the population is poor, the disabled “survivor” remains a burden on the family.

In most cases, mine victims who manage to obtain basic medical care, and possibly a prosthesis, find themselves ultimately excluded from society, sometimes forced to beg in the streets.

Mine survivors from Angola and Mozambique participating in the “Raising the Voices”* program, who attended meetings related to the 2002 Ottawa Convention in Geneva, made the following statement:

“Treatment, social and economic rehabilitation are included [in the Treaty]**. We would like to emphasize, however, that treatment and rehabilitation must lead to effective economic and social reintegration. It is true that [mine survivors] prefer to work rather than beg.“ They also reiterated the basic rules on equal opportunities for persons with disabilities: ”States must recognise [that] persons with disabilities must be trained to enjoy their rights, particularly in the field of employment“ and called for more vocational training and employment programs.“

Outside the meeting, one survivor pointed out that many survivors with prosthetic limbs remove them to go begging because “prosthetic limbs don’t fill your stomach!” He was not questio

Que faire pour les victimes ?

Il n’existe pas de formule unique pour l’assistance aux victimes. La création de centres de premier secours ou de transfusion sangine permet de développer le volet médical. Dans le domaine de la réinsertion socio-économique, il est possible d’offrir des formations professionnelles (secrétariat, menuiserie, artisanat, etc…) ou une assistance ponctuelle, tel le lancement d’un petit négoce (achat d’un kiosque de vente, élevage de petits animaux, achat d’outils professionnels…) ou à long terme en permettant à une victime de suivre une formation qualifiante voire tout simplement aller à l’école (voir les témoignages ci-dessous). D’autres projets, orientés vers le soutien psychologique ou vers la sensibilisation de la société, sont également nécessaire à la construction d’un processus d’aide au victimes pertinent et efficace.

L’AISP a cependant constaté de grandes lacunes en ce qui concerne les premiers secours, la réinsertion socioprofessionnelle des victimes voire dans la promulgation des lois sur l’invalidité civile des victimes de mines. L’assistance aux victimes est l’une des dispositions de la Convention d’Ottawa qui reçoit le moins d’attention et certaines de ses composantes font défaut dans la plupart des États Parties. C’est d’autant plus vrai dans les pays du Tiers Monde où les systèmes de santé sont déjà confrontés à de nombreux besoins essentiels non satisfaits et qui sont donc incapables de gérer ces handicaps graves et de nature très diverse.

Le projet de l’AISP en Angola : “OKUMEMENA KWO TSHILEMA”, le sourire de la personne handicapée

Savez-vous que l’Angola a le taux par habitant de victimes et blessures par mines le plus élevé au monde ?

La situation dramatique du pays a poussé l’AISP à s’engager dans l’action. Pour mettre en œuvre ses projets d’assistance aux victimes en Angola, l’AISP a donc identifié un partenaire à Lubango, le “Clube de Jovens da Huila”. Cette association travaille depuis 1996 dans le domaine de la sensibilisation au danger des mines en collaboration avec les institutions onusiennes. La responsable du département “assistance aux victimes” est elle-même victime de mine.

L’AISP et le Clube de Jovens souhaitent créer ensemble un centre employant des victimes de mines dans les domaines suivants :

ning the importance of prosthetic limbs, but argued that the effective reintegration of mine survivors must lead to financial and professional independence beyond physical independence.

* A program that aims to enable mine victims to express their problems to state representatives.** Article 6, paragraph 3 of the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines

What can we do for the victims?

There is no single formula for assisting victims. The creation of first aid or blood transfusion centres allows for the development of medical care. In the area of socio-economic reintegration, it is possible to offer vocational training (secretarial work, carpentry, crafts, etc.) or one-off assistance, such as starting a small business (purchasing a kiosk, raising small animals, purchasing professional tools, etc.). etc.) or one-off assistance, such as helping them to set up a small business (purchasing a kiosk, raising small animals, buying professional tools, etc.) or long-term assistance by enabling victims to undertake training leading to qualifications or simply to go to school (see testimonials below). Other projects, focused on psychological support or raising awareness in society, are also necessary to build a relevant and effective victim assistance process.

However, the AISP has noted major shortcomings in first aid, the socio-professional reintegration of victims, and even in the enactment of laws on the civil disability of mine victims. Victim assistance is one of the provisions of the Ottawa Convention that receives the least attention, and some of its components are lacking in most States Parties. This is particularly true in Third World countries, where health systems are already faced with many unmet basic needs and are therefore unable to cope with these serious and diverse disabilities.

The AISP project in Angola: “OKUMEMENA KWO TSHILEMA,” the smile of people with disabilities

Did you know that Angola has the highest per capita rate of mine victims and injuries in the world?

The country’s dire situation prompted the AISP to take action. To implement its victim assistance projects in Angola, AISP has identified a partner in Lubango, the “Clube de Jovens da Huila”. This association has been working since 1996 to raise awareness of the dangers of mines in collaboration with UN agencies. The head of the “victim assistance” department is herself a mine victim.

The AISP and the Clube de Jovens wish to jointly create a centre employing mine victims in the following areas:

  • mine risk education by the victims themselves, because who better than a mine victim to address the consequences of mines! This is an ideal solution for empowering victims and reintegrating them into the professional world.
  • work in the booming tourism sector in a region rich in natural resources; the Clube de Jovens wants to open the first tourist office in Lubango and the surrounding area.
  • work in a centre for reprographics, screen printing, and document lamination. The profits will be used to help other mine victims in the region.