Landmine report: Number of victims in Ukraine has increased tenfold
In Ukraine, ten times as many people were killed or injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war as a result of Russia's war of aggression in 2022 than in the previous year. There were over 600 documented cases there in 2022, as reported by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) in Geneva. Worldwide, the number of reported victims fell from 5544 to 4710. 1700 of these were killed, the others were injured. The number fell in Afghanistan in particular. However, this is mainly due to the fact that hardly any data is collected there, it was said.
Landmines are laid to stop the advance of enemy forces. They explode on contact. However, the small pieces often remain in the ground for decades as live ammunition. 85 percent of the victims are children playing and other civilians who later accidentally step on them on roads or in fields. The Ottawa Treaty has banned landmines since 1999. 164 countries are party to it.
Russia, USA and China not in the Ottawa Treaty
According to the ICBL landmine report, Russia has laid landmines in eleven of Ukraine's 27 regions since the invasion of the neighboring country in February 2022. However, according to this information, Ukraine also used the weapon at least once - in Isjum in the Kharkiv region when the area was under Russian control. There were at least eleven victims there. Unlike Russia, Ukraine is a party to the treaty and is the only one of the 164 countries to have violated its provisions. Russia has not joined the treaty, nor have the USA and China.
Only in Syria were more people killed or injured by landmines in 2022 than in Ukraine: a total of 834, according to the report. 60 countries are still contaminated with landmines. The campaign (ICBL), a network of more than 1,000 non-governmental organizations in around 100 countries, is calling for more demining. The ICBL was the driving force behind the Ottawa Treaty. It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this in 1997.
- Despite Russia not being a party to the Ottawa Treaty, which bans landmines, their invasion of Ukraine led to a tenfold increase in landmine-related victimcies, as stated in the latest Landmine Report.
- The Human Rights Watch has emphasized the urgent need for international cooperation to address the issue of landmines, particularly in conflict zones like Ukraine, where numerous victims continue to suffer due to this widespread use of weapons.
- In contrast to Russia and other non-signatories of the Ottawa Treaty, Ukraine and 162 other countries have pledged to adhere to the regulations, but the report highlights at least one instance where Ukraine violated these agreements by using landmines in Isjum.
Source: www.dpa.com
