Landmines still kill thousands despite 27-year-old ban

When, in 1997, 142 countries voted at the UN General Assembly in favor of the Ottawa Treaty, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of antipersonnel mines, they did not expect that, 26 years later, in 2023, more than 5,757 people would still fall victim to landmines or explosive remnants of war. Among these, 1,983 were killed and 3,663 were hurt, many of them suffering life-changing injuries.

This horrendous statistic is not confined to events in current war zones, as incidents were recorded in more than 50 countries, of which 38 are states parties to the treaty. To add to the horror, up to 84 percent of all recorded casualties in 2023 were civilians and 37 percent of the civilian casualties were children.

Hence, last month’s meeting of the Fifth Review Conference of the Anti‑Personnel Mine Ban Convention in Cambodia was timely, serving as a reminder that, despite much progress, there is an urgent need to press ahead with a global commitment to eradicate antipersonnel mines.

The landmine issue rose to international prominence the same year the Ottawa Treaty was signed, when Princess Diana visited places such as Angola and Bosnia to observe clearance activities first-hand and meet victims. Shortly after these visits, the treaty was signed, calling for all countries to unite to rid the world of landmines. But despite a significant reduction, we still live with this murderous phenomenon.

Despite much progress, there is an urgent need to press ahead with a global commitment to eradicate antipersonnel mines

Yossi Mekelberg

To be sure, 25 years ago, landmines killed or maimed more than 20,000 people annually — mostly civilians — and much of the improvement should be attributed to a majority of parties to the treaty complying with it. But progress does not mean linear progression toward the elimination of this issue. The Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor group claimed last month that Russia had been using antipersonnel mines “extensively” in Ukraine and that the US responded by providing Kyiv with its own mines to try and stall Russian progress on the battlefield. Hence, despite 164 countries now having adopted the treaty, further steps are needed to push us toward a world free of antipersonnel mines and the casualties they cause.

Antipersonnel mines, like cluster bombs, are a particularly nasty weapon that have a lasting impact on victims and their families and communities. By their very design, landmines are inherently indiscriminate weapons — they are not intended to target a specific person, but rather hurt those who belong to a certain nationality or ethnic group and terrorize the rest of their communities. Hence, injury can be inflicted on whoever triggers the mine, no matter whether that is a child or a soldier, as well as anybody who happens to be in close proximity.

What makes this munition particularly nasty is that it has lifelong consequences on the victims and their families. If it does not kill, the injuries inflicted, including losing limbs, are so severe that the victim will likely require lifelong care. And since they disproportionately affect young people, this means protracted disability and suffering, with dire personal and economic consequences.

Moreover, landmines do not come with a limited shelf life. Some of these explosives are more than half a century old and have been lying in wait all this time, as deadly today as the day they were planted. It makes them an ongoing threat, wreaking havoc on populations that are trying to rebuild their lives postwar.

Armies are tempted to use antipersonnel landmines because they terrorize both military personnel and civilians and leave a huge impact, in addition to being extremely cheap to make and distribute. Producing a landmine could cost as little as $3. However, the cost of removing them safely is immense, especially if their locations are not mapped beforehand. The cost of safely removing a single mine in such circumstances has been estimated at $1,000. Therefore, clearing all existing landmines around the world is projected to cost up to $100 billion, while new landmines are still being planted in various war zones.

Some are more than half a century old and have been lying in wait all this time, as deadly today as the day they were planted

Yossi Mekelberg

While clearing landmines is one side of the story, recovering from their impact is another. Cambodia, which hosted the Fifth Review Conference, is one of the countries that has been most affected by landmines, the result of 30 years of war and political disorder that came to an end in 1998. There are up to 6 million mines or unexploded munitions littering the country, holding back its recovery, rehabilitation and economic development, in addition to the psychological impact.

Hence, the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention is not only about stopping the production and use of mines, it also requires states to help the hundreds of thousands of landmine victims with their rehabilitation. Since most of the victims are in developing countries, where access to health and rehabilitation facilities is more limited, the majority of the costs should be borne by more affluent countries — and, in many cases, these are where these vicious weapons have been produced.

Sadly, while progress has been made on limiting the use of mines, victim assistance is one of the areas in which progress has been sluggish. Bear in mind that many of the victims of landmines reside in remote rural areas, where there is a huge shortage of specialist medical treatment and rehabilitation, not to mention a lack of investment in access to schools, workplaces and at home, as well as psychological support. It is tragic enough to get injured by a mine, but to condemn the victims to being unable to fulfill their human potential due to a lack of resources is unforgivable.

And while the need to reduce the proliferation of landmines and to support those who fall victim to them is paramount, we must not forget the many thousands who risk their lives every day in the dangerous and nerve-racking activity of removing these landmines. They also need recognition and, above all, the resources to guarantee their safety.

• Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House.

X: @YMekelberg