Weapon Contamination in Urban Settings: An ICRC Response

Unexploded and abandoned ordnance is dangerous wherever it is found. But in urban settings, such weapon contamination poses particular risks for civilians, critical civilian infrastructure and humanitarian operations, including those of the ICRC. This booklet describes those risks and explains how the ICRC’s Weapon Contamination Unit can help ICRC delegations and the broader International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to assess and reduce the dangers. It includes several stories from the field that show how the Weapon Contamination Unit has supported ICRC delegations and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.