945 Killed by Landmines in 2024 as UN Urges Renewed Global Ban Efforts

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Geneva: Landmines and explosive remnants of war killed at least 945 people and injured 4,325 others worldwide in 2024, with civilians accounting for about 90 percent of recorded casualties, according to a UN report.

The report found that at least 58 states and territories remain contaminated by anti-personnel mines, with Myanmar, Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine recording the highest numbers of victims last year.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called for renewed international efforts to eliminate anti-personnel mines, nearly three decades after the adoption of the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty. He urged countries to end the production, use and transfer of the weapons and increase cooperation on mine clearance.

The report noted that children have made up more than 40 percent of civilian landmine casualties recorded since 1999. Beyond causing deaths and injuries, mines continue to prevent displaced people from returning home and limit the use of land for farming and development.

While the Ottawa Convention has 162 member states, several countries have recently withdrawn from or suspended their participation. Türk welcomed Lebanon's decision to join the treaty and called on non-members to ratify it and former members to rejoin.

The UN also warned that funding for global mine action has declined sharply, with contributions to its voluntary trust fund falling from $125 million to $46 million over the past seven years.

Pic Credit: AFP