Children account for nearly half of those maimed or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance, according to the Landmine Monitor 2025.
Searching for scrap metal to sell in local markets, helping their families tend animals and cultivate crops on unsafe land, or simply mistaking explosives for shiny toys scattered in the rubble of their former homes all create a deadly environment in which a moment of curiosity or necessity can lead to life-altering injury or death.
"At a time when 61 active armed conflicts are still raging across the world and defence budgets are boosted at the expense of overseas humanitarian aid, the escalating use of landmines is a ticking nightmare for future generations, especially children, who are particularly vulnerable to blast injuries and trauma", says Major General James Cowan, CEO of the HALO Trust.
"This report sounds a resounding alarm bell that cannot be ignored. Until these indiscriminate weapons are out of the ground for good, millions of innocent civilians remain trapped in fear, their daily lives overshadowed by constant danger."
Peaking at the highest level in four years, there were 6,279 recorded casualties in 2024, with civilians making up a staggering 90% of all casualties caused by landmines and deadly explosive remnants of war.
Myanmar remains the most dangerous country in the world for explosives accidents with just over 2,000 reported casualties, double the number reported in 2023. Following 14 years of brutal civil war, Syria comes in second with 1,015 recorded deaths and injuries, followed closely by the protracted crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine.
The Monitor also revealed that improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have resulted in over 2,000 casualties in 2024 alone, while deaths and injuries from factory-made antipersonnel (AP) mines have tripled since 2020 with 57 countries now massively contaminated.
However, despite a significant drop in global AP clearance rates in 2024, HALO cleared a total of 42,976 devices last year, representing 33% of the global total.
"The combination of expanding landmine use, rising casualties, and unstable funding is creating a rapidly worsening global humanitarian emergency. But we must evolve and adapt to new threats by constantly by investing in and deploying new technology, from drones and AI to the latest mechanised clearance methods", Cowan explains.
"Initial trials of next-generation magnetic resonance detectors in Angola and Ukraine, for example, indicate at least 30% faster clearance rates compared to traditional methods. Drawing on HALO's track record of innovation and our deep experience in underfunded, fragile regions, means we can save lives and help communities rebuild, even as global realities shift and new challenges emerge."
