Geneva (TDI): A new United Nations human rights report, released on Tuesday, paints a grim picture of the global landmine crisis, finding that anti-personnel mines continue to maim and kill civilians decades after conflicts end.
The report, prepared by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, found that at least 58 states and territories were contaminated by anti-personnel mines in 2025, with millions more devices still sitting in national stockpiles worldwide.
According to the most recent figures cited in the report, landmines and other explosive remnants of war killed at least 1,945 people and injured 4,325 others in 2024. Myanmar, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Nigeria, Mali, Yemen and Burkina Faso recorded the highest casualty rates.
Civilians account for roughly 90 percent of all known victims, and children have made up more than 40 percent of civilian casualties recorded since 1999.
Almost 30 years since the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty was adopted, it is deeply troubling that landmines continue to kill and injure people, often decades after placement. States must recommit to ending the production, use and transfer of these weapons.https://t.co/aALMK0QpVz
— Volker Türk (@volker_turk) June 16, 2026
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called it troubling that the weapons are still claiming lives “almost 30 years” after the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty was adopted, noting that when injured breadwinners can no longer work, women are often left to shoulder caregiving duties alone.
The findings come at a delicate moment for the 1997 Ottawa Convention, which now counts 162 states parties but has recently lost ground.
Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have all withdrawn from the treaty, citing regional security concerns, while Ukraine, still technically a party, has suspended its implementation.
Several major military powers, including permanent members of the UN Security Council, have never joined at all. Beyond the human toll, the report details how minefields choke off entire regions from development.
Read More: UN official visits demined sites in Cambodia
Contaminated roads block humanitarian aid and access to basic services, fields laced with mines go unfarmed, fueling food insecurity, and mines planted near schools put children’s education at risk.
The report also notes that international funding for clearance efforts has dropped sharply, with contributions to the UN’s Voluntary Trust Fund for Mine Action falling from $125 million to $46 million over the seven years leading up to 2025.
Türk urged holdout states to ratify the treaty and called on those that have withdrawn to rejoin “promptly,” while praising Lebanon’s recent decision to join the convention despite facing serious security threats.
He also pressed governments to provide reparations to victims and ensure survivors have access to healthcare, rehabilitation, education and employment. The report is set to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council on June 26.
