GULU, 5 September 2008 (IRIN) - "I never imagined that I would become disabled until I was hit by a mine planted by LRA [Lord's Resistance Army] rebels in front of my door in 1995," Irene Laker Odwar said. "Now some people look at me as a burden or a curse."
Laker, a member of the Gulu-Amuru Landmine Survivor's group, said several land victims in the region had been affected by trauma, inadequate medical support and inability to fend for themselves.
"Some of our relatives and members of the community do not want to associate with us - they think we bring more burdens," she added.
The group has 876 members in Gulu and Amuru Districts. The number of survivors is, however, believed to be higher in villages because some fear to come out and register or to openly express their problems. "The majority of landmine victims are very young, they still require a lot of support to be able to earn a living," Irene explained.
Even where some survivors had returned, many felt the villages were still infested with landmines and other unexploded ordnances.
"I was hit at a water point a few metres away from my home," one of the victims, only identified as Akello, told IRIN in Amuru. "This place was a hideout for the rebels; there may be are undetected mines or unexploded [ordnances]."
Others lament that village life did not provide adequate social support structures like well-equipped health units, clean water and access roads for the disabled. Those with unhealed wounds were languishing without proper treatment.
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