This Saturday, Place Gautier will host the Handicap International event aimed at raising citizens’ awareness about the consequences of wars and supporting the victims. Associations and artists will come together throughout the day to entertain and educate the public.
A pyramid of shoes to support war victims
A symbolic gesture to support war victims who have lost their use. Participants can also sign the petition banning the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, allowing people to live safely once more.
After 30 years of fighting against anti-personnel mines and cluster bombs (BASM), which resulted in the Ottawa and Oslo Treaties banning them, Handicap International continues to fight against weapons targeting civilians—innocent victims of conflicts—and for the respect of international humanitarian law.
More than 100 people are victims of explosive weapons every day worldwide. In 2014, every day, 114 people were killed or injured by an explosive weapon, and 92% of them were civilians when these weapons are used in populated areas!
In Syria, a quarter of recorded victims must undergo amputation. Seventy countries are still contaminated by explosive remnants of war, which can remain active for several decades after the conflicts. The systematic use of bombings and explosive weapons targeting cities and populated areas is intensifying in current conflicts.
Syria, the Gaza Strip, South Sudan, Yemen, and Ukraine have notably been affected by the use of anti-personnel mines, BASM, or other explosive weapons in recent months.
