Landmines are a cause of concern in different countries in the world. Indeed, thousands of people die each year in the world because of the explosion of landmines. Moreover, landmines are now proliferating in a faster way and, according to available sources including the ICRC, there are dozens of millions of mines that are spread worldwide. As is estimated, around 2 to 5 million more mines are being laid each year in different countries. Scattered landmines kill and maim between 1.000 and 2.000 people per month in the world, though the number of new casualties each year has decreased in recent years. The yearly number of casualties was 26,000 in the 1990s.
Notably, landmines that are hidden dangers in almost every region of the world can be anti-personnel mines that are mainly produced to kill humans and anti-vehicle landmines that are designed to destroy vehicles. While anti-vehicle landmines are more destructive, anti-personnel landmines cause more deaths of civilians. According to the available sources, more than 300 antipersonnel landmine models have been produced in at least 48 nations. The most common type of antipersonnel landmines is blast mines that are exploded when any person directly steps on the mine. Civilians are victims mostly of blast mines. The blast mines mostly kill the persons who step on them but there are other mines including bounding mines that kill both the person who step on them and others within the specified ranges.
Of course, the effects of landmines are very dangerous. Along with deaths, many are injured due to the explosion of landmines. Moreover, there is a considerable number of deaths when landmines are disposed of. But victims are mostly civilians, though enemies and enemy vehicles become the victims. According to Landmine Monitor, eighty six percent of reported victims were identified as civilians in 2003. Civilians become the victims of landmine explosions mostly after the end of the conflict because most landmines remain undisposed. But landmines do not bring the intended outcomes in warfare on many occasions in terms of destroying enemy vehicles and killing enemy soldiers. Most landmines remain undetected for years leading to a hidden danger for civilians rather than enemy vehicles or enemies.
Of course, there are treaties and other measures to dispose of landmines and reduce the number of casualties including the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (or Mine Ban Convention), which was adopted in 1997, signed by more than 150 countries and was effected in 1999. Because of the treaty, the use of landmines decreased notably. Moreover, different countries are increasingly focusing on the ban on land mines. But the use of landmines is still going on in different areas. This is because many countries are unwilling to sign the convention, implement the convention or refrain from the use of landmines, especially anti-personnel landmines.
Thus, more efforts are needed. Of course, the implementation of the convention, which already helped in decreasing the number of casualties, along with decreasing the use of landmines, is important. Efforts need to be given to clear landmines in civilian and other risky areas. In this respect, landmines detection capacity needs to be improved as land mines have recently become more undetectable because of deceptive design. The development of a cost effective mechanism for getting landmines out of the ground and the disposal of landmines is important. Harm reduction of landmine disposal personnel is imperative. More needs to be done for the victims of landmines. The cooperation of countries is also important for clearing landmines and supporting the victims of landmines.
Moreover, and importantly, a strong global campaign to ban the use of landmines needs to be increased. In this respect, the International Campaign to Ban on Landmines, a group network in around 100 countries that works for freeing landmines, needs to strengthen its campaign so that more countries ban the use of anti-personnel landmines and support landmine survivors. Moreover, awareness needs to be raised among people about different sorts of landmines. This is more important in conflicting countries where there is a large number of landmines spread in different areas.
