Rising Landmine Use Undermines Ban as Nations Withdraw from Ottawa Treaty
Civilian deaths from landmines are climbing while a handful of European NATO members have exited the Ottawa Treaty, weakening the global ban.
In August 2020, 12-year-old Raheela Bibi lost both hands to a landmine in Pakistan, illustrating the ongoing human toll of these weapons. A 2025 NGO report recorded more than 5,000 landmine-related deaths and injuries, with children accounting for 90% of victims in South Sudan last year. Although the Ottawa Treaty, signed by 166 states in 1997, outlawed anti-personnel mines, major users such as Russia never ratified it and recent conflicts have spurred withdrawals.
Five European NATO members sharing borders with Russia, along with Ukraine, have announced exits, a move condemned by peace-research experts as a dangerous precedent. The United Nations Mine Action Service estimates that demining Ukraine alone could cost nearly $35 billion over a decade. New sensor-equipped mines further complicate clearance, leaving civilian populations, especially children, vulnerable to injury and death.
Why it matters
The erosion of the landmine ban raises civilian casualty risks and hampers global disarmament efforts.
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