Potential health hazards of cluster bombing in the Shomali Valley, Afghanistan in October-November 2001.

A cluster bomb consists of a canister that opens in mid-air releasing a number of bomblets, which spread over a large area of ground and explode on impact. The exact proportion of bomblets that fail to explode on impact is a matter for debate between military and humanitarian agencies. After the recent bombing of Afghanistan, nine cluster bomb sites in the Shomali Valley were assessed. A total of 317 of 1,818 cluster bomblets had failed to explode (17.4%). Of these 317, 107 (33.7%) had become buried in the ground. Fifty-seven percent of the buried cluster bomblets were embedded deeper than 10 cm. To detect cluster bomblets buried at this depth, large loop metal detectors are needed.