A/HRC/21/38 priorities in national prevention strategies. Food security and livelihood measures, tailored to the specific economic context, together with cultural and psychosocial support activities, can also contribute to preventing the recruitment and the rerecruitment of children. VII. Explosive weapons: an emerging concern 47. An emerging concern is the use of explosive weapons by Governments and nonState actors, especially in populated areas, which has a devastating impact on civilians, including children. A particular cause for concern has been the use of heavy explosive weapons that can have wide-area effects, such as multiple-launch rockets, high-explosive artillery and mortars, car bombs and other improvised explosive devices. 48. Explosive weapons touch on four of the six grave violations against children and armed conflict, including killing or maiming. They are also used for direct and physical attacks on schools and hospitals, where they may result in forced closure or compromised functioning. Children recruited and used as suicide bombers and victim bombers both carry explosive weapons. In some country situations, children are denied humanitarian access because of the presence of explosive remnants of war. Recent developments in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, the Sudan and the Syrian Arab Republic, where thousands of children have been killed and maimed, have confirmed the gravity of the issue. 49. Recognition of the distinct and specific problems associated with explosive weapons is growing. Acknowledgment that the use of explosive weapons in populated areas causes severe harm to civilians and is a serious concern for the protection of children in armed conflict has to be further strengthened, however. Systematic data collection and analysis of the human cost of these weapons is critical to this end. In addition, the humanitarian principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution must always guide the use of explosive weapons in compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law. When dealing with country-specific situations where parties to conflict are listed by the Secretary-General for patterns of killing and maiming children, and attacks on schools and hospitals, action plans to end these violations should tackle the issue of explosive weapons. VIII. Field visits by the Special Representative 50. During the period under review, the Special Representative carried out field missions to Chad (June 2011), the Central African Republic and Somalia (November 2011) and South Sudan (March 2012). The purpose of these visits was to take stock of the situation of children in these countries, to witness the signing of action plans, to secure and facilitate the implementation of child protection commitments on the ground, to foster more effective coordination among the principal stakeholders and to follow up on the recommendations of the Secretary-General and the main provisions of Security Council resolutions 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009) and 1998 (2011). 51. The main commitments made by Governments and other parties to the conflict during these missions are highlighted below. It is crucial for the protection of children that the Human Rights Council and the broader international and human rights community continue to collectively monitor follow-up actions and encourage parties to honour their commitments. A. Chad 52. The Special Representative visited Chad from 13 to 16 June 2011 to witness the signing of the action plan between the Government and the United Nations for the release 13