Human Rights Watch warns US against sending cluster munitions to Ukraine
This “would inevitably cause long-term suffering for civilians,” the NGO says | Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned the US against supplying Ukraine with cluster munitions which have been banned in more than 100 countries due to the severe risk they pose to civilian populations. ● In a statement released on Thursday, the NGO sounded the alarm over media reports that the US government is considering whether to approve deliveries of the deadly weapons, which Kiev has been requesting for months. The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing a senior White House source, that Washington was expected to greenlight the move. CBS said on Wednesday that the US could make a decision as early as this week. ● Cluster munitions are banned in more than 100 countries because, when they explode, they release small bomblets over a wide area. Some of these fail to detonate on impact, posing serious risks to civilians for many years after the fighting is over. The US has not joined the ban but has prohibited exports of this ammunition with a ‘dud’ rate of more than 1%. The restriction could be lifted by a waiver from US President Joe Biden.
■ US-Based Arms Control Association Warns Against Supplying Cluster Munitions to Kiev (Sputnik News)