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Laura Boushnak: The deadly legacy of cluster bombs
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The destruction of war doesn't stop when the fighting is over. Photographer and TED Fellow Laura Boushnak shares a powerful photo essay about the survivors of cluster bombs, people who encountered these deadly submunitions years after the end of conflict. With her haunting photos, Boushnak asks those who still produce and condone the use of these weapons to abandon them.
Laura Boushnak - Photographer
Laura Boushnak is a Kuwaiti-born Palestinian photographer whose work focuses on women, literacy and education reform in the Arab world. Full bio
Laura Boushnak is a Kuwaiti-born Palestinian photographer whose work focuses on women, literacy and education reform in the Arab world. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
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I once had this nightmare:
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I'm standing in the middle
of a deserted field full of land mines.
of a deserted field full of land mines.
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In real life, I love to hike,
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but every time I want to go on a hike,
it makes me nervous.
it makes me nervous.
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I have this thought in the back of my mind
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that I might lose a limb.
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This underlying fear started 10 years ago,
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after I met Mohammed,
a cluster bomb survivor
a cluster bomb survivor
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of the summer 2006
Israel-Hezbollah War in Lebanon.
Israel-Hezbollah War in Lebanon.
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Mohammed, like so many
other survivors all around the world,
other survivors all around the world,
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had to live through the horrifying
repercussions of cluster munitions
repercussions of cluster munitions
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on a daily basis.
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When the one-month conflict
started in Lebanon,
started in Lebanon,
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I was still working
at Agence France-Presse in Paris.
at Agence France-Presse in Paris.
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I remember how I was glued to the screens,
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anxiously following the news.
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I wanted to reassure myself
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that the falling bombs
missed my parents' home.
missed my parents' home.
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When I arrived in Beirut
on assignment to cover that war,
on assignment to cover that war,
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I was relieved to be united
with my family,
with my family,
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after they had finally managed
to escape southern Lebanon.
to escape southern Lebanon.
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The day the war was over,
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I remember seeing this image --
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one of blocked roads,
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of displaced people eagerly rushing
south, back to their homes,
south, back to their homes,
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regardless of what they would find.
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An estimated four million
cluster submunitions
cluster submunitions
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were spread in Lebanon during
the 34-day conflict.
the 34-day conflict.
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Mohammed lost both legs
during the last week of the conflict.
during the last week of the conflict.
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The fact that he lives a five-minute
drive from my parents' home
drive from my parents' home
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made it easier to follow
him through the years.
him through the years.
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It was now almost 10 years
since we first met.
since we first met.
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I saw the young boy
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who had to endure
physical and emotional trauma.
physical and emotional trauma.
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I saw the teenager who tried
to offer his friends tattoos,
to offer his friends tattoos,
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in return for a set fee of five dollars.
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And I know the young, jobless man
who spends hours surfing the Internet
who spends hours surfing the Internet
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trying to meet a girl who might
become his girlfriend.
become his girlfriend.
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His fate and the effects
of losing his legs
of losing his legs
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are now his daily reality.
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Survivors of bomb trauma like Mohammed
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have to deal with so many details
that never occur to us.
that never occur to us.
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Who would have imagined
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that so many daily tasks we do
or take for granted,
or take for granted,
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such as going to the beach or even
picking up something from the floor,
picking up something from the floor,
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would become sources
of stress and anxiety?
of stress and anxiety?
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Well, that's what eventually
became of Mohammed,
became of Mohammed,
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due to his inflexible prosthetic legs.
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Ten years ago, I had no clue
what a cluster bomb was,
what a cluster bomb was,
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nor its horrifying implications.
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I learned that this indiscriminate
weapon was used
weapon was used
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in so many parts of the world
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and continues to kill on a regular basis,
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without distinguishing
between a military target
between a military target
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or a child.
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I naively asked myself,
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"But seriously, who made those weapons?
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And what for?"
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Let me explain to you
what a cluster bomb is.
what a cluster bomb is.
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It's a large canister
filled with bomblets.
filled with bomblets.
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When it's dropped from the air,
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it opens up in midair to release
hundreds of bomblets.
hundreds of bomblets.
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They scatter around wide areas
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and on impact,
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many fail to explode.
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Those unexploded ones end up
just like landmines --
just like landmines --
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sitting on the ground,
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waiting for their next target.
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If someone steps on them by accident
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or picks them up,
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they can explode.
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These weapons are extremely unpredictable,
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which makes the threat even bigger.
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One day, a farmer can work
his land without a problem.
his land without a problem.
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The next day, he can make fire
and burn some branches,
and burn some branches,
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and the submunitions close by
could be set off because of the heat.
could be set off because of the heat.
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The problem is children mistake
those bomblets for toys,
those bomblets for toys,
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because they can look like
bouncy balls or soda cans.
bouncy balls or soda cans.
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Being a documentary photographer,
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I decided to go back to Lebanon
a few months after the conflict ended
a few months after the conflict ended
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to meet cluster bomb survivors.
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And I met a few --
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Hussein and Rasha,
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who both lost a leg to submunitions.
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Their stories are similar to so many
other kids' stories across the world
other kids' stories across the world
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and are a testimony
to the horrifying implications
to the horrifying implications
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of the continuous use of such weapons.
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That's when I met Mohammed,
in January 2007.
in January 2007.
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He was 11 years old,
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and I met him exactly four months
after his accident.
after his accident.
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When I first saw him,
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he was going through painful physiotherapy
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to recover from his fresh wounds.
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Still in shock at such a young age,
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Mohammed was struggling
to get used to his new body.
to get used to his new body.
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He would even wake up sometimes
at night wanting to scratch his lost feet.
at night wanting to scratch his lost feet.
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What drew me closer to his story
was my instant realization
was my instant realization
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of the difficulties Mohammed
was likely to face in the future --
was likely to face in the future --
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that what he has been suffering
while adjusting to his injury
while adjusting to his injury
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at the age of 11,
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would increase manyfold.
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Even before his disability,
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Mohammed's life wasn't easy.
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He was born in the Rashidieh Camp
for Palestinian refugees,
for Palestinian refugees,
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and this is where he still lives.
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Lebanon holds some 400,000
Palestinian refugees,
Palestinian refugees,
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and they suffer from discriminatory laws.
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They're not allowed to work
in the public sector
in the public sector
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or practice certain professions
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and are denied the right to own property.
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This is one of the reasons
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why Mohammed doesn't really
regret dropping out of school
regret dropping out of school
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right after his injury.
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He said, "What's the point
of a university degree
of a university degree
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when I can't find a job to start with?"
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Cluster bomb use creates a vicious circle
of impact on communities,
of impact on communities,
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and not only the lives of their victims.
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Many who get injured by this weapon
drop out of school,
drop out of school,
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can't find jobs or even lose their jobs,
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therefore losing the ability
to provide for their families.
to provide for their families.
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This is not to mention
the continuous physical pain
the continuous physical pain
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and the experience of feeling isolated.
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These weapons affect
the poorest of the poor.
the poorest of the poor.
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The high medical cost
is a burden to the families.
is a burden to the families.
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They end up relying
on humanitarian agencies,
on humanitarian agencies,
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which is insufficient and unsustainable,
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especially when injuries require
lifelong support to the injured.
lifelong support to the injured.
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Ten years after Mohammed's injury,
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he is still unable to afford
proper prosthetic legs.
proper prosthetic legs.
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He's very cautious with his steps,
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as a couple of falls over the years
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brought him embarrassment
among his friends.
among his friends.
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He joked that since he doesn't have legs,
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some days he tries to walk on his hands.
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One of the worst yet invisible
impacts of the weapon
impacts of the weapon
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is the psychological scars it leaves.
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In one of Mohammed's
early medical reports,
early medical reports,
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he was diagnosed with signs of PTSD.
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He suffered from anxiety,
poor appetite, sleep disturbance
poor appetite, sleep disturbance
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and showed signs of anger.
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The reality is Mohammed never received
proper help to fully recover.
proper help to fully recover.
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His current obsession
is to leave Lebanon at any cost --
is to leave Lebanon at any cost --
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even if it meant embarking
on a hazardous journey
on a hazardous journey
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along with refugees drifting towards
Europe today through the Mediterranean.
Europe today through the Mediterranean.
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Knowing how risky such a journey would be,
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he said, "If I were to die on the way,
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it doesn't matter."
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To Mohammed, he is dead here, anyway.
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Cluster bombs are a world problem,
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as this munition keeps destroying
and hurting whole communities
and hurting whole communities
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for generations to come.
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In an online interview with the director
of the Mines Advisory Group,
of the Mines Advisory Group,
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Jamie Franklin,
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he said,
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"The US forces dropped over two million
tons of munitions over Laos.
tons of munitions over Laos.
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If they couldn't find
their targets in Vietnam,
their targets in Vietnam,
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there were free-drop areas in Laos
where planes would drop their loads
where planes would drop their loads
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before going back to base,
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because it's dangerous to land
with loaded planes."
with loaded planes."
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According to the International
Committee of the Red Cross,
Committee of the Red Cross,
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in Laos alone -- one of the poorest
countries in the world --
countries in the world --
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nine to 27 million unexploded
submunitions remain.
submunitions remain.
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Some 11,000 people have been killed
or injured since 1973.
or injured since 1973.
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This lethal weapon has been used
by over 20 states during armed conflicts
by over 20 states during armed conflicts
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in over 35 countries,
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such as Ukraine, Iraq and Sudan.
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So far, 119 states have joined
an international treaty
an international treaty
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banning cluster bombs,
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which is officially called
the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
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But some of the biggest producers
of cluster munitions --
of cluster munitions --
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namely, the United States,
Russia and China --
Russia and China --
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remain outside of this lifesaving treaty
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and continue to produce them,
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reserve the right to produce
them in the future,
them in the future,
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keep those harmful weapons
in their stockpiles
in their stockpiles
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and even possibly use them in the future.
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Cluster bombs have reportedly
been used most recently
been used most recently
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in the ongoing conflicts
in Yemen and Syria.
in Yemen and Syria.
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According to research
on the worldwide investments
on the worldwide investments
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in cluster munitions producers
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by Pax, a Dutch-based NGO,
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financial institutions invested
billions of US dollars
billions of US dollars
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into companies that make
cluster munitions.
cluster munitions.
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The majority of these institutions
are based in countries
are based in countries
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that have not yet signed
the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
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Getting back to Mohammed,
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one of the few jobs he was able
to find was picking lemons.
to find was picking lemons.
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When I ask him if it's safe
to work in the field he said,
to work in the field he said,
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"I'm not sure."
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Research shows that cluster munitions
often contaminate areas
often contaminate areas
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where agriculture is the main
source of income.
source of income.
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According to Handicap
International's research,
International's research,
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98 percent of those killed or injured
by cluster munitions are civilians.
by cluster munitions are civilians.
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Eighty-four percent
of casualties are males.
of casualties are males.
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In countries where
these people have no choice
these people have no choice
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but to work in those fields,
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they simply do it
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and risk it.
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Mohammed is the only male
to three sisters.
to three sisters.
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Culturally, he's expected
to provide for his family,
to provide for his family,
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but he simply can't.
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He tried to have so many different jobs,
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but he couldn't keep any
due to his physical disability
due to his physical disability
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and the less-than-friendly environment
to people with disabilities,
to people with disabilities,
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to say the least.
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It hurts him a lot when he goes
out looking for a job,
out looking for a job,
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and he's turned away
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with a small amount of money
paid to him out of pity.
paid to him out of pity.
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He said, "I'm not here to beg for money,
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I just want to earn it."
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Mohammed today is 21 years old.
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He's illiterate,
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and he communicates with voice messages.
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Here is one of his messages.
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(Audio) Mohammed: (Speaking in Arabic)
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Laura Boushnak:
He said, "My dream is to run,
He said, "My dream is to run,
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and I'm pretty sure once I start running,
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I would never stop."
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Laura Boushnak - PhotographerLaura Boushnak is a Kuwaiti-born Palestinian photographer whose work focuses on women, literacy and education reform in the Arab world.
Why you should listen
Boushnak's documentary project I Read I Write explores the barriers women face accessing education and the role of literacy in improving the lives of women in Egypt, Yemen, Kuwait, Jordan, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. For the project, Boushnak encouraged women to write their thoughts on prints of their portraits, engaging them directly in the artistic process. Boushnak’s images have been widely published, and her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. She is a co-founder of Rawiya, a collective that brings together the work and experience of female photographers from the Middle East.
Laura Boushnak | Speaker | TED.com