According to the British NGO, Action on Armed Violence (formerly known as Landmine Action), Western Sahara remains “one of the most heavily mined areas in the world”. It is estimated that there are more than 7 million landmines throughout the Sahrawi Territory in addition to large quantities of explosive remnants of war and cluster munitions. Most of the landmines are buried along the wall, especially in the area that is southeast of the wall, which is considered the largest continuous minefield in the world. The destructive force of landmines affects directly the civilian population, especially children, who each year suffer injuries, amputations and death from accidents related to landmines and explosive remnants of war. Landmines also pose a serious obstacle to the possible return of the refugees to their homeland.
