Young girl hit by anti-personnel mine doing well, hospital

A young girl that was seriously injured, a year ago, by an anti-personnel mine is doing well, medical sources said Monday.

Mahjouba Aouimir, 11, stepped in March 2004 on a buried anti-personnel mine which shattered her right foot.

Wandering in the desert away from her Touizgui village, in the Assa Zag region, South-East Morocco, the girl activated the deadly machine. She was found 16 hours later and was immediately taken to the village hospital.

Late intervention and the poor hospital services were of no help to the girl whose health was deteriorating.

Authorities heard about the tragedy and took her in charge. First, she was transferred to Agadir (602 km South of Rabat) where she underwent a 7 hour surgical operation that saved her foot organs.

Then, she was taken to a Rabat clinic hospital where she was examined by Pr. Chliyah M'hamed who affirmed that the girl's foot would not be amputated.

Over 15,000 individuals are killed, mutilated or injured every year by anti-personnel mines. For most of the countries involved, the direct burden represented by the victims is usually too heavy to cope with, whether defined in terms of healthcare, rehabilitation or prosthetics, and especially reintegration into social and working life.