Landmines contaminate Nigeria, 57 others - UN

Anti-personnel mines continue to pose a grave threat globally, contaminating at least 58 states and territories and inflicting heavy civilian casualties, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated Tuesday. He expressed deep concern that nearly 30 years after the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty, these weapons still kill and injure people, often decades after deployment.

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It is deeply troubling that almost 30 years since the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty was adopted, these explosive weapons continue to kill and injure people, often decades after they were placed.

Turk's report highlights the devastating impact, with at least 945 people killed and 4,325 injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war in 2024 alone. Civilians constituted approximately 90% of all recorded casualties where their status was known. Myanmar, Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine reported the highest numbers of casualties, with Nigeria, Mali, Yemen, and Burkina Faso also recording over 200 casualties each.

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It is essential that all states recommit to putting an end to the production, use and transfer of these weapons and redouble their efforts to cooperate in clearing mines already placed.

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines reported similar figures, stating that mines and explosive remnants of war killed or injured over 5,000 people in 2025, with civilians overwhelmingly affected. The UN office noted that children account for over 40% of civilian casualties from anti-personnel mines since 1999. Beyond immediate harm, these mines render areas unusable, hindering rights, prolonging displacement, and preventing agricultural use.

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Among victims where the status as military or civilian was known, civilians made up approximately 90 percent of all recorded casualties in 2024.

While 162 states are parties to the Ottawa mine ban convention, Turk pointed out that some countries with significant stockpiles have not joined, and some, like Ukraine, are suspending implementation. He urged states to ratify the treaty and for those that withdrew to rejoin, while commending Lebanon's recent accession. The UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action has seen contributions sharply decrease from $125 million to $46 million in the seven years to 2025.

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States that have not yet ratified the treaty should promptly do so and those that have withdrawn should quickly rejoin.