The Importance of Humanitarian Landmine Disposal

Landmines and other dangerous explosives impair the lives of millions of people across the globe. For those living in war-torn or post war areas, the presence of landmines intervenes with their livelihoods, as areas that should be used to grow crops for food are tainted, roads and paths can no longer be used, which can affect children’s ability to go to school. For as long as landmines contaminate developing nations, the development and progress for humanitarian needs will not be met. Many people, mainly civilians and children, are killed or suffer severe injury every year because of landmines.

Landmines come in two varieties: anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines. Anti-personnel landmines have been prohibited by the United Nations since 1997, under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, this is also known informally as the Ottawa Treaty - 164 state parties have joined and agreed to the treaty.

Despite a ban on landmines, many countries are still affected, as some have mines left over from conflict that occurred before the Mine Ban Treaty went into effect. The remaining mines are a part of a larger category of weapons, which is known as Explosive Remnants of War (ERWs). IEDs, which stands for Improvised Explosive Device, are still being used in conflict. IEDs are commonly used by non-state groups in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Myanmar, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

It’s difficult to collect data findings on deaths and casualties, as its hard for organisations to keep track of landmines and many incidents - especially the use of IED – go unreported. According to the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, in 2017, which is the most recent year where full data is available, IEDs caused the most casualties of any mine type. It is also important to reference that this organisation states that “improvised mine types that can explode due to presence, proximity, or contact of a person are antipersonnel mines.”

They report that in 2017, 2,697 casualties of improvised mines were recorded in Landmine Monitor data. This was the highest annual total of such casualties recorded since Landmine Monitor reporting began in 1999. Of these casualties, 88% were civilians, 42% were killed and 473 of these casualties were children.

Landmines create more than a threat to people, they also pose a direct threat to local and national economies, as livestock and land are susceptible to mines, often effecting farming and agriculture. For example, the Republic of Zimbabwe had a total of less than 62km of confirmed mined area remaining, the majority is of antipersonnel mines that have been left over from the 1970s during a conflict of decolonisation. According to a survey by The HALO Trust, landmines in Zimbabwe’s north-eastern region affect an estimated 75,000 people in 87 communities. The HALO Trust is a UK demining organisation that has worked in the county since 2013. With widespread poverty and Zimbabwe ‘facing worst hunger crisis in a decade,’ with 7.7 million people food insecure, the use of land for farming and crops and the stability of livestock is paramount.

There has however been progress in Zimbabwe. According to Zimbabwe’s 2018 Mine Action Strategy, Zimbabwe’s initial contamination totalled about 310 square kilometres (120 square miles), containing about three million mines. In 2017 alone, demining efforts resulted in clearing 1.7 square kilometres (0.66 square miles), which contained more than 30,000 mines, according to the Mine Action Review report.

In a 2019 report by Landmine Monitor, they state:

“Both landmines and ERW pose a serious and ongoing threat to civilians. These weapons can be found on roads, footpaths, farmers’ fields, forests, deserts, along borders, in and surrounding houses and schools, and in other places where people are carrying out their daily activities. They deny access to food, water, and other basic needs, and inhibit freedom of movement. They endanger the initial flight and prevent the repatriation of refugees and internally displaced persons and hamper the delivery of humanitarian aid.

“These weapons instil fear in communities, whose citizens often know they are walking in mined areas, but have no possibility to farm other land, or take another route to school. When land cannot be cultivated, when medical systems are drained by the cost of attending to landmine/ERW casualties, and when countries must spend money clearing mines rather than paying for education, it is clear that these weapons not only cause appalling human suffering, but that they are also a lethal barrier to sustainable development and post-conflict reconstruction.”

The work of those that demine infected areas is crucial, and often times organisations such as The HALO Trust and the UNMAS (United Nations Mine Action Service) educate individuals in communities that are affected by landmines on how to stay safe, as well as employing locals, creating jobs and economic opportunity. The UNMAS recently recruited, Asnath Konaté, as Weapons and Ammunitions Management (WAM) Assistant, in the Central African Republic. She is the first woman in the Central African Republic to destroy explosive ordnance, which is a massive milestone in the fight for gender equality.

Landmine Free 2025 is a campaign to “re-energise global support to landmine clearance and ensure people affected by landmines are not forgotten. 33 countries and territories have been cleared, but 58 are still contaminated. Over 60 million people live at risk from landmines and unexploded bombs. This campaign is a call to action to work together to do more, and faster.” This campaign is globally backed and supported by multiple different humanitarian organisations and governments, with the hope we can reach our goal by 2025.