Geneva: A recent report has revealed a sharp rise in casualties from landmines and unexploded ordnance, reaching levels not seen since 2020. According to the Landmine Monitor 2025, over 6,000 incidents were recorded in 2024, including 1,945 deaths and 4,325 injuries, with nearly 90% of victims being civilians. Among these, women and children accounted for almost half, highlighting the devastating human toll of these hidden weapons.
The surge in incidents is largely attributed to ongoing conflicts in Syria and Myanmar, where landmines and unexploded ordnance continue to pose life-threatening risks. In Syria, residents returning to formerly contested areas face increasing danger from buried mines, while Myanmar recorded the highest number of incidents worldwide, with more than 2,000 events linked to both state and non-state armed groups. Neither country is a party to the Mine Ban Treaty, complicating international efforts to address the crisis.
Adding to global concern, several European nations, including Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, are in the process of withdrawing from the Ottawa Treaty, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines. These withdrawals are being justified by perceived military threats from Russia, but experts warn they risk “dangerous erosion” of the global norm against landmines. Ukraine also exited the treaty in June 2024 amid ongoing conflict with Russian forces.
The report further documents allegations of new mine deployments in Ukraine and border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia, underscoring the continuing misuse of anti-personnel mines. Meanwhile, reductions in international donor funding, including from the U.S., have led to the suspension of several humanitarian mine clearance and survivor support programs, further exacerbating the crisis.
Despite ongoing efforts to remove mines over 105,000 anti-personnel mines destroyed and more than 1,100 kilometers of land cleared in 2024 the report warns that gains are fragile. Advocates call for renewed international commitment to mine clearance, victim assistance, and the upholding of the Mine Ban Treaty to prevent further civilian suffering and long-term land contamination.
The Mine Ban Treaty parties are scheduled to meet in Geneva this week to discuss these challenges and reaffirm commitments to a world free of landmines. The urgency of the moment highlights the intersection of humanitarian law, global security, and civilian protection in conflict zones.