The new use of antipersonnel landmines drove a rise in new casualties from the weapons in 2022 and is a stark reminder of the need to respect the Mine Ban Treaty, said the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) today upon releasing its Landmine Monitor 2023 report.
Increased levels of mine action funding and of land cleared reflects the collective determination to reach a mine-free world.
According to the Monitor report, 4,710 people were injured or killed by landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) across 49 states and two other areas in 2022. Civilians accounted for 85% of landmine and ERW casualties recorded in 2022, half of them children (1,171). The highest number of annual casualties was recorded in Syria (834) and Ukraine (608). Amidst the conflict in Ukraine, the country saw a ten-fold increase in the number of civilian landmine and ERW casualties compared to 2021 (58). Yemen and Myanmar both recorded more than 500 casualties in 2022.
According to the Monitor report, 60 countries and other areas are contaminated by antipersonnel mines. A total of 30 States Parties have reported clearance of all mined areas from their territory since the Mine Ban Treaty came into force in 1999. Affected States Parties continued to clear contaminated land in 2022, collectively clearing 219.31km² and destroying 169,276 antipersonnel landmines. Almost 60% of the land cleared in 2022 was cleared in just two countries: Cambodia and Croatia.