Geneva: Landmine casualties have surged to a four-year high, with 6,279 incidents documented in 2024. Children remain particularly at risk, especially in conflict zones where displaced families are returning to areas heavily contaminated with mines.
According to EMM, civilians accounted for 90 per cent of the casualties in 2024, as reported by Loren Persi, Impact Team Lead. Children made up a significant portion of these casualties, with nearly half being minors. In Afghanistan alone, 77 per cent of casualties were children, highlighting the severe impact on young lives.
The report, launched by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and hosted by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), warns of challenges facing the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. Ban Policy Editor Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan noted that several States Parties are considering withdrawal, threatening the treaty’s effectiveness. Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have expressed intentions to withdraw, citing
security concerns following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
In Ukraine, the government insists it can suspend certain treaty obligations during its ongoing conflict, a stance disputed by the Monitor. The report also indicates potential new mine deployment by Ukraine in 2024-2025, including drone-deployed devices, though details remain unclear.
The Monitor confirms extensive mine use by Myanmar and Russia and reports allegations against Cambodian forces along the Thai border. Thailand has presented evidence of newly laid mines injuring its soldiers.
Anti-personnel mine contamination affects at least 57 states and other areas, including 32 States Parties. Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Trkiye, and Ukraine remain heavily contaminated. Despite some progress, such as Oman’s completion of clearance in 2025, the goal of achieving a mine-free world by 2025 appears increasingly elusive, with 2030 now seen as a more realistic target, according to Senior Researcher Katrin Atkins.
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funding shortfall is exacerbating the situation. The sector’s reliance on major donors, particularly the United States, has left mine-action programmes vulnerable. Ruth Bottomley, the Monitors Mine Action Funding Research Lead, highlighted a 2025 US funding freeze that stalled and terminated several programmes, including those in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Colombia, Tajikistan, and Zimbabwe. Victim assistance has been severely impacted, with international support falling by 23 per cent.
Presenters at the report’s launch called for renewed commitment, warning that without increased funding, political resolve, and compliance, mine contamination will outpace humanitarian responses, endangering millions for years to come.