Landmines and explosive remnants cast a long shadow over Iraq amid recovery efforts
On the International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reiterates its call for stronger efforts to reduce the widespread contamination of landmines and ERWs in Iraq.
These deadly remnants continue to claim lives and cause devastating injuries. Between 2023 and 2024, a total of 78 victims were reported as either killed or injured. In early 2025, three students tragically lost their lives to explosive remnants of war in Basra’s Abu Khaseib district.
Children remain the most vulnerable. Among them is Hussein, an 11-year-old boy from Diwaniyah province who was injured in 2021. “While playing outside with my friends—there were five of us—we found a ‘war remnant’ object. We burned it and played with it, unaware of the danger. Suddenly, it exploded, injuring all of us. Mine was the worst—I lost my leg above the knee,” he said.
Another victim, further north, in the war-torn province of Nineveh, Sundus's life changed forever during the tumultuous years of conflict from 2014 to 2017. In an attempt to flee to safety with her family, she unknowingly stepped on a mine, losing both her legs in the ensuing explosion.
These stories are just a few among thousands, highlighting the devastating impact of contamination across Iraq. Each injury or loss of life is a stark reminder that war does not end when the fighting stops—it leaves behind a deadly legacy that lasts for generations.
The threat extends beyond civilians to mine clearance teams, who face life-threatening risks in their mission to remove these deadly hazards. Noora Murad, a demining specialist in Sinjar, Nineveh Governorate, shares her daily fears: "The situation is not easy. Every time I leave for work, my daughter cries." She went on saying, “We feel happy when we clear a site that later becomes a school or when we see land we cleared two or three years ago being cultivated again.”
The ICRC continues to conduct risk awareness and safe behavior training to people living in highly contaminated areas, equipping them with the knowledge to protect themselves from these hidden dangers. In 2024 alone, nearly 6,000 individuals in at-risk or affected communities benefited from face-to-face awareness sessions.
In parallel, the ICRC also continues to work with specialized partners in demining operations. In 2024, 2440 pieces of humanitarian mine action equipment and materials were donated to the Iraqi national mine action agencies and civil defense to support their efforts.
Beyond risk education and demining support, the ICRC remains committed to assisting victims of explosive remnants of war, and it works closely with national authorities in strengthening the national legal framework relating to anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions in line with Iraq’s international obligations.
"Collective action is needed to prevent further loss of life and alleviate suffering. Therefore, we collaborate closely with the national authorities and Iraqi Red Crescent Society” said Ikhtiyar Aslanov, Head of the ICRC’s delegation in Iraq. “Our paramount goal is to support affected communities and help create a safer environment for children and families in Iraq," he added.
While progress is being made to mitigate the risks posed by landmines and ERW, the path toward a mine-free Iraq remains long. The ICRC calls on all relevant stakeholders to intensify efforts to create a safer environment for affected communities, provide sustainable support for victims, and work toward eliminating this deadly legacy that continues to obstruct recovery and development in Iraq.
For more information, please contact:
Hiba Adnan (Spokesperson) Email: hiadnan@icrc.org Mobile: +9647901916927
Avin Yassin (Kurdish): Email: avyassin@icrc.org Mobile: +964 771 994 5066
To learn more about the ICRC’s activities in Iraq:
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Notes to editors:
ICRC in Iraq:
The ICRC has been working in Iraq since 1980, and its main activities are visiting detainees, restoring family links, and clarifying the fate of the missing persons, as well as disseminating and promoting international humanitarian law among all sectors of Iraqi society. In addition to working to mitigate the effects of climate change and help communities adapt in the long term through the rehabilitation of water treatment plants, drinking water pumps, water networks and irrigation systems. It also provides support to hundreds of affected families by providing cash assistance to help them restore their livelihoods in close cooperation with the Iraqi National Red Crescent Society.
Fact & Figures during 2024:
- 14,639 women, men, and children benefited from physical rehabilitation services at the ICRC-supported governmental centres or at Erbil Physical Rehabilitation Centre (PRC).
- A total of 722 students took part in these awareness sessions in one of Iraq's southern governorates.
- 8,990 people living in weapon-contaminated areas were sensitized about risks and adopted safer practices to reduce vulnerability.
- Nearly 6,000 individuals in at-risk or affected communities were supported with face-to-face risk awareness and safe behaviour sessions.
- Over 230 ICRC and RC/RC Movement staff members were trained in the field of weapon contamination hazards.
- 2440 pieces of humanitarian mine action equipment and materials were donated to the Iraqi national mine action agencies and civil defense to support their efforts.
Distribution channels: Human Rights
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