Source: UN News: Thursday, 04 December 2025 00:01 AM
The number of casualties caused by landmines or explosive remnants of war has reached its highest level in four years. This information has come to light in ‘Landmine Monitor 2025’, a report by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). In this report released on Monday in Geneva, information has been given about 6 thousand 279 casualties last year. Children are particularly at risk, and this is a major problem in countries affected by violent conflict, where families often return to areas that have been the epicenter of fighting in the past. Lauren Percy, who led the team that prepared the report, said that by 2024, 90 percent of casualties will be civilians. “And children are a huge proportion of all these casualties, almost half… 77 percent in Afghanistan, That means three-quarters of the total casualties were children, which is horrifying.” The report, hosted by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research and led by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), a global network of civil society organizations, was published on Monday. This campaign focuses on efforts to eliminate these weapons. © DanChurchAid/Rashad Siblini Countries are withdrawing from the treaty The study warned that in 1997, Treaty to ban landmines It is facing its biggest challenge in the last several decades. Many countries have taken such steps which pose a threat to this treaty. These five countries, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, are taking steps to withdraw from this treaty. The reasons for this are Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the security situation arising in its background. The report mentions indications according to which landmines were used by Ukraine in 2024-2025. These also include equipment deployed by drones, although it is not yet clear how large the scope of use is. The study confirms the large-scale use of landmines by Myanmar and the Russian Federation. Also, there have been allegations of their use by Cambodian military forces on the border with Thailand. Thailand, while presenting evidence, had said that its soldiers had been injured due to these landmines. The spread of landmines has affected 57 countries and other territories, including 32 member countries of the treaty. Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Information about their widespread use has come to light in Cambodia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Turkey and Ukraine. Some progress has also been recorded in this regard. Has helped in the complete elimination of landmines in Oman. Oman is the first country to achieve this feat after the year 2020. More than 50 percent of the countries affected by this problem have also recorded some success in survey and demining efforts. Despite this, the use of these mines remains a challenge. Senior researcher Katrin Atkins said that positive progress has been made, but the goal of eliminating these landmines by 2025 is still far from reach. Now the target for this can be set till 2030. UNOCHA/Oleksandr Ratushniak The crisis of funding cuts Another challenge facing programs to end the use of landmines is the lack of financial resources. Ruth Bottomley, researcher at ‘Landmine Monitor’, said that there is a dependence on a few major donors for financial support, including the United States, and this makes the situation challenging. “In 2025, the US imposed a sector-wide funding freeze, causing some demining programs to stall, and others to close altogether…” Programs in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Colombia, Tajikistan, and Zimbabwe have already closed. Aid to victims has also been impacted, with international support falling by 23 percent. Disability from landmines has increased in Ukraine and Palestine, but health systems are struggling to cope. There has been an emphasis on concrete aid funding, political commitment and adherence to treaty terms to protect millions of people from their risks.
