Where are landmines found?
Mines are planted in war zones. They may be laid by hand or “seeded” from an aircraft or by artillery. Mines may be laid around a village, along a road, on bridges, along river banks, in fields or in forests. Many mines float so that after heavy rains they are found in unexpected locations. Mines continue to be dangerous even if they have been in the ground a long time. When the military conflict ceases, mines remain hidden in the ground, a threat to the people who work the fields and walk the roads. Buying a mine only costs a few dollars, but clearing mines is very expensive. It costs about $1000 to remove one mine. So, in many places, fields and sometimes entire villages remain mined for years after conflicts end making it difficult to farm and support a family. Landmines continue to kill and maim civilians, mostly women and children. How many landmines are there? It is estimated that there are between 45 and 50 million landmines in the ground in at least 70 countries. How many mines
