Myanmar has recorded the world’s highest number of landmine casualties for the second year running, underscoring the scale of danger facing civilians across the country’s conflict zones.

 

New figures from the International Campaign to Ban Landmines report 2,029 people killed or injured in 2025 — double the previous year’s total. The toll far exceeds those in other war‑affected nations, with Syria registering 1,015 casualties, Afghanistan 624 and Ukraine 293.

 

The rise reflects both the intensity of Myanmar’s conflicts and the widespread use of antipersonnel mines by multiple armed actors. The military has continued to deploy mines every year since global monitoring began in 1999, and has long been accused of forcing civilians to walk ahead of troops as human shields to trigger hidden explosives. Reports also point to forced labour in mine‑clearance operations, placing already vulnerable communities at further risk.

 

Early 2025 saw a sharp increase in victims near the Bangladesh border, where families displaced by fighting attempted to return to their villages. Many encountered minefields laid during earlier clashes, with little warning or clearance work in place.

 

Myanmar is home to the world’s largest number of active armed groups, many of whom also use landmines. The result is a patchwork of contaminated territory stretching across multiple states, making safe movement increasingly difficult for civilians and humanitarian workers alike.

 

The latest figures highlight a grim reality: even as front lines shift, the threat beneath the ground remains constant, leaving thousands of Myanmar’s civilians exposed long after the fighting passes.

 

-2025-12-06

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