(MENAFN) Global landmine casualties have climbed to their worst levels since 2020, with 6,279 individuals killed or maimed in 2024, according to findings released Monday by the Landmine Monitor 2025 report.

The sharp increase stems primarily from active combat zones in nations that haven't signed the international mine ban agreement, the analysis revealed. Myanmar continues experiencing "massive use" of these weapons, while Syria witnesses escalating civilian harm as residents attempt to reclaim homes in contaminated territories.

Children represent nearly half of all victims, with civilians comprising 90% of the total casualty count, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) emphasized. For consecutive years, Myanmar has recorded the world's deadliest toll from these indiscriminate weapons.

"This year's findings make clear both the scale of new challenges and the need to stay united in upholding commitments and maintaining vital compliance efforts," said Mark Hiznay, the Landmine Monitor editor for ban policy.

The comprehensive 163-page assessment presents a mixed picture of advancement and regression. While over half of affected signatory nations successfully reduced contaminated areas during 2024, and 31 countries have achieved complete clearance since the Mine Ban Treaty took effect in 1999—with Oman completing removal operations in 2025—critical obstacles remain. Recent additions of the Marshall Islands and Tonga brought total treaty membership to 166 nations, representing 85% of global countries.

However, the objective of eliminating these weapons worldwide is becoming increasingly distant, the document warns. Cleared land area contracted in 2024 amid declining financial resources and deteriorating security conditions. Funding allocated for survivor support—already representing merely 5% of total mine action budgets—plummeted by approximately 25%. The situation worsened after the U.S. implemented a foreign aid suspension in early 2025, the report indicated.

"Behind each statistic is a family and a community still living with the consequences of landmines," said funding editor Ruth Bottomley. "The decline in funding for victim assistance is alarming and must be urgently reversed."

The analysis documented ongoing or potential fresh deployments by Russia, Myanmar, Ukraine, and additional countries, alongside withdrawals or withdrawal attempts from the Mine Ban Treaty—circumstances representing a "dangerous erosion of the global norm," according to the ICBL.

"The Mine Ban Treaty remains a powerful instrument, and its obligations and principles must be actively defended," ICBL Director Tamar Gabelnick said. "Turning back is not an option; we have come too far, and the human cost is simply too high."

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