What are cluster bombs?

A cluster bomb, or cluster munition, is a container with lots of small bombs inside - called bomblets or submunitions. They can be dropped from aircraft or fired from the ground.

Cluster bombs break apart in mid-air, scattering bomblets over an area the size of two or three football pitches. So far, they have caused death and injury in over 20 countries in the world, most recently during fighting in Lebanon.

Toulin M42 cluster bomblets in an olive grove

Why are they a problem?

Cluster bombs scatter and explode over a wide area when released and cannot distinguish between soldiers and civilians.
Large numbers of bomblets don't explode when they hit the ground. This means that for years after fighting has ended they litter huge areas of land and continue to kill and injure people.
Unexploded cluster bombs can have a terrible effect on people's daily lives. Farmers can't harvest their crops. Fishermen get them caught in their nets. Schools and doctors' surgeries can be difficult or impossible to get to. Roads can't be used. This can cause unemployment and stop people getting the healthcare and education they need.
In some countries young boys try to break open cluster bomblets to sell the metal inside.
The small size and attractive shapes of bomblets make them interesting to children. The risk of children being injured or killed by bomblets is very high.

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