ERW from ground fighting (grenades, mortars, shells)
Unexploded ordnance left behind by ground fighting during the civil war — hand grenades, mortar rounds, artillery shells, and the like (explosive remnants of war, or ERW). This entry records them as a combined category rather than a specific model.
History
From 1970 to 1998, Cambodia went through civil wars and conflicts that also involved neighboring countries, and ground fighting across the country left ERW on the scale of millions of items on land and underwater. MAG (Mines Advisory Group) explains that unexploded hand grenades, mortar rounds, and other weapons still remain as a result of fighting among the Khmer Rouge, government forces, and other factions. In the period from 1992 to 2008 alone, 1,740,831 items of unexploded ordnance were cleared and destroyed. (Target year: 2019) [Ref 0100][Ref 0104]
Features
Unexploded ordnance such as grenades and shells is said to rarely explode right away if it is not touched or moved. However, many accidents have been reported in which people deliberately handled such items, for example while collecting scrap metal. If you find one, never touch it — leave the area and tell an adult or the authorities.
Impact
In recent years, most casualties in Cambodia have been caused by ERW (unexploded ordnance) rather than landmines. According to MAG, landmines and unexploded ordnance together still kill or injure an average of one person a week. (Target year: 2026) [Ref 0100][Ref 0102]
Current status
As of 2019, about 468 km2 of land was registered as contaminated with ERW, separate from the areas contaminated with cluster submunitions. MAG explains that contamination remains in all 25 provinces. (Target year: 2019) [Ref 0100][Ref 0104]