Civilian Casualties Remain Alarmingly High as Use of Landmines Spreads

Landmine Monitor 2025 

6,279 landmine victims in 2024: The highest number since 2020 

Published on December 1, the Landmine Monitor 2025 reports at least 6,279 victims of landmines and explosive remnants of war in 2024, the highest annual figure since 2020, and a 9% increase from the previous year (5,757 casualties in 2023) amid grave concerns regarding the announcement by six States to leave or suspend the Ottawa Treaty. As States will meet in Geneva, from December 1 to 5, for the annual conference on landmines, HI calls on them to reaffirm their commitment to the Treaty, to prevent any states parties from leaving the Treaty, and reaffirm their strong condemnation of any use of landmines, at any time by any party. 

The Number of Civilian Casualties Remains Alarmingly High  

Figures are at their highest level in five years: 6,279 people were killed or injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war in 2024 (1,945 killed and 4,325 injured). 

For the tenth consecutive year, the number of victims remains disturbingly high, mainly due to growing armed conflicts like Ukraine and Myanmar and the widespread use of improvised landmines in countries such as Syria. 

Improvised landmines caused more than one-third of all casualties. The number of victims from manufactured antipersonnel mines tripled between 2020 and 2024, reaching its highest level since 2011.  

Civilians made up 90% of all recorded victims, and children accounted for nearly half (46%) of civilian casualties. 

Anne Héry, HI’s Advocacy Director, states, “Year after year, we see thousands of civilians killed or maimed by landmines and explosive remnants of war. In Myanmar and Ukraine, armed forces continue to use these weapons on a massive scale. Even when fighting stops, these hidden killers remain active for decades, continuing to destroy lives long after the combat has stopped." She continues, "States Parties must live up to their obligations under the Mine Ban Treaty: To condemn, in the strongest possible terms, any use of antipersonnel mines by any actor, under any circumstance.” 

Global Support to Eradicate Landmines: Warning Signs Ahead 

The Mine Ban Treaty (also known as the Ottawa Treaty) is under threat. Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland began withdrawing from the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty in June 2025.  

Ukraine also announced it would suspend the Ottawa Treaty - a move that is not allowed by the treaty to a state engaged in an international conflict.  

Plus, in a context of global funding cuts in the development and humanitarian sectors, Mine Action funding shows worrisome signs of disengagement from state donors: international funding to Mine Action decreased by 5% compared to 2023, totalling $761 million in 2024. The Landmine Monitor also highlights that funding for victim assistance even fell by 23% in 2024. 

HI calls States Parties to support mine action, including victim assistance, and eradicate antipersonnel landmines. They should also raise their voices against any State's move to withdraw from the Mine Ban Treaty. 

Casualties in 52 Countries and Areas 

In 2024, casualties were recorded in 52 countries and areas, including 36 States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty. The countries with the highest numbers of casualties were Myanmar (2,029), Syria (1,015), Afghanistan (624), Ukraine (293), and Yemen (247). 

Héry explains, “A large part of the victims recorded in the Landmine Monitor 2025, like in the previous years, are injured or killed by landmines and explosive remnants long after the fighting has ended, when people return to their homes believing they can start a new life. Landmines are truly barbaric weapons that kill and injure largely outside periods of active conflict.” 

New Use of Landmines 

Between mid-2024 and October 2025, antipersonnel mines were used by Iran, Myanmar, and North Korea. There have also been increasing indications of use by Ukraine, though the scale remains unclear, while Russia continues to use landmines extensively since the full-scale invasion in February 2022.  

Non-state armed groups used mines in at least ten States Parties, including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria, as well as in India, Myanmar, and Pakistan. It is worth mentioning that the U.S. has not signed the Ottawa Convention.

In July 2025, Thailand accused Cambodia—both States Parties—of mine use along their shared border, a claim Cambodia denies. 

Spokespersons are available for interviews upon request.