UN: ‘Alarming’ rise in civilian deaths from landmines

By Joseph Tulloch

UNICEF, the UN Children’s agency, has released new data showing an “alarming” increase in civilian casualties caused by landmines.

Released on Thursday 4th April, the International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance, the data shows that “there were 1,052 verified civilian casualties from landmine and explosive ordnance incidents during 2023 – nearly triple the 390 incidents recorded in 2022.”

Over 20 per cent of the victims were children, who, UNICEF notes, are “particularly vulnerable to landmines as they are less likely to recognize them and may be unaware of their dangers.”

UNICEF’s report singles out Myanmar as a country of particular concern, noting that, due to its ongoing civil war, it now ranks among the nations “most heavily contaminated by landmines and explosive ordnance worldwide.”

The Pope’s words

Just over a month ago, in his General Audience on Wednesday 28th February, Pope Francis warned that anti-personnel mines “continue to strike innocent civilians, particularly children.”

The Pope was speaking in advance of the 25th anniversary of the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty,  an international agreement that bans antipersonnel landmines.

“I express my sympathy,” he said, “to the many victims of these insidious devices, which remind us of the dramatic cruelty of wars and the price civilian populations are forced to pay.”

“In this regard,” the Pope continued, “I thank all those who are helping to assist the victims and clean up the contaminated areas. Their work is a concrete response to the universal call to be peacemakers, taking care of our brothers and sisters.”

‘Tireless efforts’ to clear mines

In an interview with Vatican News in February, Callum Peebles of the HALO Trust, a mine-clearance NGO, thanked the Pope for his words on the subject.

“I’ve seen people who have been working to clear mines in their own communities for 20, 30 years,” he said. “They are tireless, and the people who are actually on their hands and knees doing this clearance really do deserve prayer and thanks for the effort they're making.”

As the new report from UNICEF makes clear, that work is as urgent now as ever before.