Raed Mokaled, who lost his fiveyear-old son Ahmad in a cluster bombexplosion while celebrating hisbirthday, said that the death seasonwas approaching. Raed was referringto cluster bomb ammunition scatteredin fields in southern Lebanon. He saidsoon families would start picnicking onthe weekends to enjoy the springweather where the shapes and smallsize of what Raed Calls "the sleepingenemy" are appealing to children, whomistake them for toys.

According to Human Rights Watch, thelethal weapon was used in 24countries for more than 40 yearscausing unacceptable harm to civilians.They were last deployed in Lebanon inthe 2006 Hezbollah-Israeli war.

Toy Bomb.A Photo story by ©Laura Boushnak/LightMediation

Contact - Thierry Tinacci - LigthMediation Photo Agency +33 (0)6 61 80 57 21 thierry@lightmediation.com

2079-01: A portrait of Rasha Zayoun at her bedroom. Rasha, 17, lost her left leg when a bomblet exploded as she played with it, believing it was a toy. Her father had found it while harvesting wild thyme in a field nearher house in the southern Lebanese village of Marakeh, and had taken it home in his bag of herbs.

Toy Bomb / 2079-01: A portrait of Rasha Zayoun at her bedroom. Rasha, 17, lost her left leg when abomblet exploded as she played with it, believing it was a toy. Her father had found it while harvesting wild

2079-07: Lebanese medics wheel Rasha into an ambulance to go to the hospital few days following heroperation. Almost one year after Rasha's accident, she had to undergo operations on both legs to remove

2079-08: Lebanese nurses change the bandage on Rasha's legs few days following her operation. Almostone year after Rasha's accident, she had to undergo operations on both legs to remove shrapnel. Rasha,

2079-02: Rasha receives physiotherapy at her bedroom. Rasha had to go through many physiotherapysessions to learn walking again. Rasha, 17, lost her left leg when a bomblet exploded as she played with

2079-15: A car drives past a cluster bomb model on display in the street. Cluster munitions are large weapons, which are deployed from the air or from the ground and release dozens or hundreds of smallersubmunitions. According to Human Rights Watch, the lethal weapon was used in 24 countries for more than 40 years causing unacceptable harm to civilians. They were last deployed in Lebanon in the 2006

Hezbollah-Israeli war.

2079-03: Rasha receives physiotherapy at her bedroom. Rasha had to go through many physiotherapysessions to learn walking again. Rasha, 17, lost her left leg when a bomblet exploded as she played with

2079-04: Rasha receives physiotherapy at her bedroom. Rasha had to go through many physiotherapysessions to learn walking again. Rasha, 17, lost her left leg when a bomblet exploded as she played with

2079-05: Rasha receives physiotherapy at her bedroom. Rasha had to go through many physiotherapysessions to learn walking again. Rasha, 17, lost her left leg when a bomblet exploded as she played with

2079-06: Rasha receives physiotherapy at her bedroom. Rasha had to go through many physiotherapysessions to learn walking again. Rasha, 17, lost her left leg when a bomblet exploded as she played with

2079-18: Nour, 5, and farah, 4, look at their brother Mohammed receiving physiotherapy at their home in the Palestinian refugee camp of Rashidiyeh, in Tyre. Mohammed, who comes from a poor and illiterate family,tries to avoid physiotherapy, which he says is painful. He lost both legs when he was sitting behind his father on a motorbike and drove over a cluster bomb near Tyre in the last week of the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.

Toy Bomb / 2079-09: Rasha lies down inside an ambulance on her way to the hospital. Almost one yearafter Rasha's accident, she had to undergo operations on both legs to remove shrapnel. Rasha, 17, lost

Toy Bomb / 2079-10: Rasha, her brother and two sisters watch tv. Rasha, who spends most of her timelying down following her operation said that some day she would like to get married. Rasha, 17, lost her

Toy Bomb / 2079-11: Rasha adjusts her prosthetic leg in front of her two sisters and cousin. Rasha, 17,lost her left leg when a bomblet exploded as she played with it, believing it was a toy. Her father had

Toy Bomb / 2079-12: Rasha holds her hip in pain as she tries to sit down few days following her operation.Almost one year after Rasha's accident, she had to undergo operations on both legs to remove shrapnel.

2079-27: Cluster bomb detonate by bomb experts from a British ordnance clearing company, after it was found in the southern Lebanese village of Adsheetl. The UN and human rights groups say Israel dropped aboutfour million cluster bomblets during its war with the militant Shiite group Hezbollah. Up to one million of the devices failed to explode.

Toy Bomb / 2079-13: A portrait of Rasha in front of her blood-stained carpet where the cluster bombexploded. Rasha, 17, lost her left leg when a bomblet exploded as she played with it, believing it was a

Toy Bomb / 2079-14: The blood-stained carpet where a cluster bomb exploded and tore off the leg ofRasha Zayoun. Rasha, 17, lost her left leg when a bomblet exploded as she played with it, believing it was

Toy Bomb / 2079-15: A car drives past a cluster bomb model on display in the street. Cluster munitionsare large weapons, which are deployed from the air or from the ground and release dozens or hundreds

Toy Bomb / 2079-16: The prosthetic legs of Mohammed lie on the sofa at his home in the Palestinianrefugee camp of Rashidiyeh, in Tyre. Given the precarious economic situation of most people after a

2079-05: Rasha receives physiotherapy at her bedroom. Rasha had to go through many physiotherapy sessions to learn walking again. Rasha, 17, lost her left leg when a bomblet exploded as she played with it,believing it was a toy. Her father had found it while harvesting wild thyme in a field near her house in the southern Lebanese village of Marakeh, and had taken it home in his bag of herbs. The blast wounded her mother

Alia, and brother Qassem, 21 who were in the room at the time.

Toy Bomb / 2079-17: A portrait of Mohammed, 11, at his home in the Palestinian refugee camp ofRashidiyeh, in Tyre. Mohammed lost both legs when he was sitting behind his father on a motorbike and

Toy Bomb / 2079-18: Nour, 5, and farah, 4, look at their brother Mohammed receiving physiotherapy attheir home in the Palestinian refugee camp of Rashidiyeh, in Tyre. Mohammed, who comes from a poor

Toy Bomb / 2079-19: Mohammed receives physiotherapy at his home in the Palestinian refugee camp ofRashidiyeh, in Tyre. Mohammed, who comes from a poor and illiterate family, tries to avoid

Toy Bomb / 2079-20: Mohammed attends an English class. Mohammed lost both legs when he was sittingbehind his father on a motorbike and drove over a cluster bomb near Tyre in the last week of the 2006

2079-22: Mohammed and his best friend Essam walk on the beach. Mohammed does not go to school anymore and spends most of his time with Essam. He lost both legs when he was sitting behind his father on amotorbike and drove over a cluster bomb near Tyre in the last week of the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.

Toy Bomb / 2079-21: Mohammed surrounded by his classmates. Mohammed lost both legs when he wassitting behind his father on a motorbike and drove over a cluster bomb near Tyre in the last week of the

Toy Bomb / 2079-22: Mohammed and his best friend Essam walk on the beach. Mohammed does not goto school anymore and spends most of his time with Essam. He lost both legs when he was sitting behind

Toy Bomb / 2079-23: Mohammed and his best friend Essam play on the beach. Mohammed does not goto school anymore and spends most of his time with Essam. He lost both legs when he was sitting behind

Toy Bomb / 2079-24: Mohammed, 11, plays video games with his sisters Noor, 5 and Farah, 4, in theirbedroom in the Palestinian refugee camp of Rashidiyeh in Tyre. Mohammed lost both legs when he was

2079-28: A member of an ordnance disposal team attends a drill. Money is dwindling for demining companies after two years of mine clearance work that began after the 2006 summer war...even though many minesremain in the ground. UN experts have warned that in the absence of new funds, demining will drop sharply ... threatening people in the south, where tens of thousands of cluster bombs, land mines, unexploded shells

and other ordnance remain undiscovered.

Toy Bomb / 2079-25: Mohammed's sister Mirna, looks at him while he's talking with his neighbor at hisbedroom in the Palestinian refugee camp of Rashidiyeh in Tyre. Mohammed lost both legs when he was

Toy Bomb / 2079-26: A portrait of Mohammed at his home in the Palestinian refugee camp of Rashidiyehin Tyre. Mohammed still can not walk properly with tye prostheric legs. He lost both legs when he was

Toy Bomb / 2079-27: Cluster bomb detonate by bomb experts from a British ordnance clearing company,after it was found in the southern Lebanese village of Adsheetl. The UN and human rights groups say

Toy Bomb / 2079-28: A member of an ordnance disposal team attends a drill. Money is dwindling fordemining companies after two years of mine clearance work that began after the 2006 summer war...even

2079-43: Hussein watches TV as he sits next to his prosthetic leg. Hussein's leg was blown off in a cluster bomb explosion, in April 2008. Two of his cousins, his brother and himself were playing with the cluster bomb,which was found in a field close to their village. The shapes and small size of cluster bombs are appealing to children who mistake them for toys.

Toy Bomb / 2079-29: A member of an ordnance disposal team attends a drill. Money is dwindling fordemining companies after two years of mine clearance work that began after the 2006 summer war... even

Toy Bomb / 2079-30: Two red marks indicate the possible location of cluster bombs in a field. Money isdwindling for demining companies after two years of mine clearance work that began after the 2006

Toy Bomb / 2079-31: Diab Diab, 26, a Lebanese member of a British ordnance clearing company, rests inhis hospital room, four days after his accident. Diab lost one of his eyes and injured his leg when a cluster

Toy Bomb / 2079-32: Diab Diab, 26, a Lebanese member of a British ordnance clearing company, rests inhis hospital room, four days after his accident. Diab lost one of his eyes and injured his leg when a cluster

2079-35: Two Lebanese women walk past Ahmad. Ahmad, was wounded in a cluster bomb incident in 2005 while looking for scrap metal in a field. He lost his sight and one of his legs. The last conflict in Lebanon drewwidespread attention to the effects of cluster munitions on civilian populations. However, it was not the first time that Lebanon had been hit by these weapons.

Toy Bomb / 2079-33: Farmers work in a field. A new study issued by the London-based advocacy groupLandmine Action, says that cluster bombs have cost Southern Lebanon farmers at least $ 22 millions.

Toy Bomb / 2079-34: Farmers work in a field. A new study issued by the London-based advocacy groupLandmine Action, says that cluster bombs have cost Southern Lebanon farmers at least $ 22 millions.

Toy Bomb / 2079-35: Two Lebanese women walk past Ahmad. Ahmad, was wounded in a cluster bombincident in 2005 while looking for scrap metal in a field. He lost his sight and one of his legs. The last

Toy Bomb / 2079-36: Ahmad at the balcony of his home. Ahmad, was wounded in a cluster bomb incidentin 2005 while looking for scrap metal in a field. He lost his sight and one of his legs. The last conflict in

Toy Bomb / 2079-37: Ahmad extends his hand to find his way out. Ahmad, was wounded in a clusterbomb incident in 2005 while looking for scrap metal in a field. He lost his sight and one of his legs. The last

Toy Bomb / 2079-38: A portrait of Ahmad and his fiancé at their new home. Ahmad, was wounded in acluster bomb incident in 2005 while looking for scrap metal in a field. He lost his sight and one of his legs.

Toy Bomb / 2079-39: A portrait of Ahmad and his fiancé at their new home. Ahmad, was wounded in acluster bomb incident in 2005 while looking for scrap metal in a field. He lost his sight and one of his legs.

Toy Bomb / 2079-40: Ahmad's fiancé helps him walk out of the door at their new home. Ahmad, waswounded in a cluster bomb incident in 2005 while looking for scrap metal in a field. He lost his sight and

2079-52: Mahdi's father shows his son's wound scar. Mahdi, 7, was wounded in the back in a cluster bomb explosion while playing with a friend in a field next to their home, one month following the 2006 Israel-Hezbollahwar. According to the UN demining organization forty people were killed and 252 wounded by cluster bombs dropped during the 2006 war in Lebanon. Handicap International says children make up 24% of casualties.

Toy Bomb / 2079-41: Lebanese soldiers distribute posters and pamphlets to students at an elementaryschool. The Lebanese army carried out an awareness campaign about unexploded ordnance across

Toy Bomb / 2079-42: Lebanese soldiers distribute posters and pamphlets to students at an elementaryschool. The Lebanese army carried out an awareness campaign about unexploded ordnance across

Toy Bomb / 2079-43: Hussein watches TV as he sits next to his prosthetic leg. Hussein's leg was blownoff in a cluster bomb explosion, in April 2008. Two of his cousins, his brother and himself were playing

Toy Bomb / 2079-44: Hussein watches TV next to his two brothers. Hussein's leg was blown off in acluster bomb explosion, in April 2008. Two of his cousins, his brother and himself were playing with the

Toy Bomb / 2079-45: Hussein's father and a family's friend check the prosthetic leg. Hussein's leg wasblown off in a cluster bomb explosion, in April 2008. Two of his cousins, his brother and himself were

Toy Bomb / 2079-46: Mohammed plays with his brother's sticks. Hussein's leg was blown off in a clusterbomb explosion, in April 2008. Two of his cousins, his brother and himself were playing with the cluster

Toy Bomb / 2079-47: A portrait of Hussein at his tent in the garden of his home. Hussein's leg was blownoff in a cluster bomb explosion, in April 2008. Two of his cousins, his brother and himself were playing

Toy Bomb / 2079-48: The prosthetic leg of Hussein lies on the floor after his brother Mohammed playedwith it. Hussein's leg was blown off in a cluster bomb explosion, in April 2008. Two of his cousins, his

2079-23: Mohammed and his best friend Essam play on the beach. Mohammed does not go to school anymore and spends most of his time with Essam. He lost both legs when he was sitting behind his father on amotorbike and drove over a cluster bomb near Tyre in the last week of the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.

Toy Bomb / 2079-49: A portrait of Salimeh at her home. Salimeh, 63, received injuries in her head,stomach and arm when a cluster bomb exploded in the backyard of her home on the last day of the 2006

Toy Bomb / 2079-50: Salimeh, shows her wound scar. Salimeh, 63, received injuries in her head, stomachand arm when a cluster bomb exploded in the backyard of her home on the last day of the 2006

Toy Bomb / 2079-51: A portrait of Mahdi. Mahdi, 7, was wounded in the back in a cluster bomb explosionwhile playing with a friend in a field next to their home, one month following the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah

Toy Bomb / 2079-52: Mahdi's father shows his son's wound scar. Mahdi, 7, was wounded in the back in acluster bomb explosion while playing with a friend in a field next to their home, one month following the

Toy Bomb / 2079-53: A portrait of Ibrahim at his home. Ibrahim, was wounded in the leg and eye in clusterbomb explosion while looking for wood in a field in 2007. According to the UN demining organization forty

Toy Bomb / 2079-54: Ibrahim shows his wound scar. Ibrahim, was wounded in the leg and eye in clusterbomb explosion while looking for wood in a field in 2007. According to the UN demining organization forty

Toy Bomb / 2079-55: Hossam tries his prosthetic leg after being fixed at a rehabilitation center. Hossamlost one of his legs and sight in a cluster bomb explosion in 2000. The last conflict in Lebanon drew

Toy Bomb / 2079-56: A nurse fixes the prosthetic leg of Hosam at a rehabilitation center. Hossam lost oneof his legs and sight in a cluster bomb explosion in 2000. The last conflict in Lebanon drew widespread

2079-57: A mural shows Ahmad and reads in Arabic: Lets not forget how Ahmad was killed?. Ahmad was killed in a cluster bomb explosion on his fifth birthday from injuries sustained while playing in a park near hishome in 1999.

Toy Bomb.

Raed Mokaled, who lost his five year-oldson Ahmad in a cluster bomb explosionwhile celebrating his birthday, said that thedeath season was approaching. Raed wasreferring to cluster bomb ammunitionscattered in fields in southern Lebanon.He said soon families would startpicnicking on the weekends to enjoy thespring weather where the shapes andsmall size of what Raed Calls "thesleeping enemy" are appealing to children,who mistake them for toys.According to Human Rights Watch, thelethal weapon was used in 24 countriesfor more than 40 years causingunacceptable harm to civilians. They werelast deployed in Lebanon in the 2006Hezbollah-Israeli war.The UN Mine Action Coordination Centrein South Lebanon (MACC-SL) estimatesthat between 32% and 40% of clusterammunition failed to explode in the latestconflict. This would mean that the recentconflict added approximately 1.5 millionunexploded submunitions to the minesand ordnance already on the ground fromprevious wars.Fourty people were killed and 252wounded by cluster bombs droppedduring the 2006 war in Lebanon. Cluster munitions are imprecise weapons,designed to strike a greater surface areathan many other conventional weapons bydispersing smaller, but still lethal,submunitions. Scattered on the ground,these submunitions create a largefootprint. Within that footprint, they kill andinjure both military personnel and civilians.Its use, which creates a vicious circle ofimpact on communities and medical costsrelated to incidents, are a heavy burdenon poor families. Education opportunities

decrease, unemployment rises, as doespsychological trauma and isolation forthose who become victims, leading toincreased poverty and risk-taking.Seventeen-year-old Rasha was dumpedby her fiancé after loosing one of her legsin a cluster bomb incident. Rasha, has tobear daily physiotherapy to learn walkingagain, which she says is painful. She stillhas to go through several operations toremove shrapnel inside her other leg. Handicap International research revealsthat there are serious humanitarianproblems with cluster munitions. Given theprecarious economic situation of mostpeople after a conflict, clustersubmunitions also affect the mostvulnerable group - the poorest of the poor.More than 60 percent of all casualtiesoccur when people carry out their dailylivelihood activities or have no choice butto work on contaminated land. Themajority of victims are poor, uneducatedmales at work representing 76.8 percentof total confirmed casualties. Many ofthese are boys under the age of 18. A newstudy issued by the London-basedadvocacy group Landmine Action, saysthat cluster bombs have cost SouthernLebanon farmers at least $ 22 millions.

Twenty seven year-old Ahmad lost his legand sight three years ago by a clusterbomb when he was looking for scrapmetal to sell before traveling to Africa forwork. " I can handle loosing a leg or arm, butloosing my sight, this is too much toaccept. I am useless. I can do nothing,"Ahmad said.

However, It was the enormous damagecaused to civilians during the month-longconflict between Israel and Hezbollah thatled a number of governments, headed by

Norway, to back the Oslo Process, whichaims to come up with a treaty by the endof 2008. The treaty was agreed by 109countries in Dublin on May 31 and will besigned officially in December 2008.The three biggest producers of clusterbombs - the United States, Russia andChina - oppose ban proposals and haveveto power on the U.N. Security Council.None of the three were represented at thetalks in Dublin.

Raed said "I do not want people to forgethow Ahmad died".