In December last year, five-year-old Malak was at home, playing with her brother and sisters, when her house was bombed in an air strike. The building shook with a frightening boom, as shards of metal and debris shot through the air.
One of Malak's legs was fractured, the other blown off. Her brother was blinded and severely burned; her 8-month-old sister died in hospital. Yet months on from the day their lives were turned upside down, little Malak is making remarkable progress despite her terrible injuries.
The use of explosive weapons* in populated areas continues to kill and injure tens of thousands of civilians every year in countries around the world. A shocking 92% of the victims of these attacks are innocent civilians, including small children like Malak.
Explosive weapons cause serious injuries, permanent disabilities and psychological trauma. And unexploded weapons can lie dormant for many years, claiming victims long after a conflict has ended. They instil fear in whole communities, deepening poverty and acting as a lethal barrier to development.
This is why urgent action is needed today to protect innocent civilians.
It's high time the UK led the way to end this barbaric practice. Sign the petition to call on the Boris Johnson, to condemn the indiscriminate bombing of civilians.
*Explosive weapons include aerial bombs, rockets, mortars, shells, landmines, cluster bombs and improvised explosive devices.
To Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson,
I call on the UK and all states worldwide to:
- Publicly commit to ending the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas and take the lead in influencing other states to do the same
- Fully implement the treaties banning landmines and cluster munitions without delay and promote them to non-signatory states
- Contribute funds towards assisting the victims, clearing weapons in affected zones, and preventing further injuries and deaths.
Stop bombing civilians now!
[Your comments here]
Sincerely,
[Your name]
