Cluster bombs or cluster munitions, according to Army Technology, are "bombs which release miniature bomblets or mines." the purpose of these bombs, according to the website for the defence industries, is "to spread damager over a wide area." According to Stop Cluster Munitions, "A cluster munition consists of a canister and several submunitions." After being dropped or fired, the canister opens in mid-air over the target area and ejects its cargo of hundreds of submunitions over the target area.
The dangers of cluster munitions are detailed on Stop Cluster Munitions website. First, a large percentage of cluster bomb submunitions tends to survive unexploded, posing a threat to civilian populations and children in particular far beyond the target area, long after the military action. Second, a cluster bomb can affect an area as large as one square kilometer, and each submunition can project shrapnel over a radius of up to 50 meters, threatening the lives of victims far beyond the precise target area. Today's military forces rely on cluster munitions to carry out war strategy, resulting in serious harm to civilians during military actions.
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