Editorials
Who gets hurt by all these weapons?
Non-combatants outside formal conflicts
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
One of the most tragic manifestations of the post cold war world is the proliferation of weapons. One consequence of the change in the scope and nature of conflicts is that far greater numbers of non-combatants are being directly and indirectly injured, maimed, and killed by weapons that used to be thought of as weapons of war, to be directed against combatants. The extent of the injuries and the proportions of non-combatants affected is documented in this week's issue by three papers that draw on the International Committee of the Red Cross's unique database of wounds treated in its own hospitals (pp 410-7).1-3 Yet, despite burgeoning international concern, we are woefully short of solutions to address this proliferation of illegal weapons.
The studies by Coupland and Meddings show starkly that innocent
non-combatants are increasingly both victims and targets of all types
of weapons, not just light arms but also landmines, and,
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Relevant Articles
- Effect of type and transfer of conventional weapons on civilian injuries: retrospective analysis of prospective data from Red Cross hospitals
- Robin M Coupland and Hans O Samnegaard
BMJ 1999 319: 410-412.[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
- Circumstances around weapon injury in Cambodia after departure of a peacekeeping force: prospective cohort study
- David R Meddings and Stephanie M O'Connor
BMJ 1999 319: 412-415.[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
- Incidence of weapon injuries not related to interfactional combat in Afghanistan in 1996: prospective cohort study
- Markus Michael, David R Meddings, Salah Ramez, and Juan Luis Gutiérrez-Fisac
BMJ 1999 319: 415-417.[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
This article has been cited by other articles:
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Leaning, J.
(1999). Medicine and international humanitarian law. BMJ
319: 393-394
[Full text]
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- We all do.
- Stephen Workman
bmj.com, 13 Aug 1999 [Full text]
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