Landmine casualties hit 4-year high as conflicts in Syria, Myanmar

Deaths and injuries from landmines and unexploded ordnance hit a four-year high in 2024, driven by conflicts in Syria and Myanmar, a new report showed on Monday. The data comes as several European countries move to withdraw from a treaty banning the use of landmines, citing the threat of Russian aggression.

More than 6,000 incidents were recorded last year, including 1,945 deaths and 4,325 injuries, the highest annual total since 2020, according to the Land Mine Monitor 2025 report. Almost 90% of the victims were civilians, with nearly half women and children.

The surge was concentrated in conflict zones in Syria and Myanmar. In Syria, returning residents face increased risks from unexploded ordnance following the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad, the report said.

Myanmar recorded more than 2,000 incidents, the highest of any country, due to the increased use of landmines by both the military and non-state armed groups, he added.

European countries are seeking an exit from the ban on landmines

Several European states are seeking to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines. The treaty, which came into force in 1999, bans 166 states from using, stockpiling, producing and transporting anti-personnel mines and obliges them to clean up contaminated areas and help victims.

Ukraine announced its withdrawal from the Convention on June 29, with military analysts saying the move could help slow Russian advances. Russia and Myanmar, neither of which signed the treaty, used landmines extensively last year, the report said.

Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland are also moving to withdraw from the Convention, citing what they say are growing military threats from Russia.

“Some states have taken steps that specifically threaten the continued health of the convention,” Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, policy editor for the Landmine Monitor 2025 ban, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.

Action programs affected by funding cuts

Funding cuts from donors, including the United States, have led to reduced support for survivors and the termination of many humanitarian mine action programs compared to previous years, the report said.

Looking ahead to 2026, “it’s likely that all states could see a reduction in funding,” said Ruth Bottomley, lead researcher for Land Mine Monitor 2025 mine action funding.

Mine action programs have been completed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Colombia, Tajikistan and Zimbabwe following cuts in US support, which previously made up a third of all international funding, Bottomley added.

The member states of the Mine Ban Treaty are meeting in Geneva this week.