Landmines Plague Area Equal To 300,000 Football Fields In Iraq

Sumaira FH Published April 04, 2025 | 11:00 PM

(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 04th Apr, 2025) BAGHDAD, 4th April, 2025 (WAM) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) contaminate an estimated 2,100 square kilometres of Iraqi land, a devastating area comparable to nearly 300,000 football fields.

The contamination, resulting from conflicts including the Iran-Iraq War and the 2014–2017 campaign against Daesh, continues to endanger civilians, displace families, restrict farmland access, and delay reconstruction efforts.

The ICRC recorded 78 casualties from landmines and ERW between 2023 and 2024. In early 2025, three students were killed in an explosion in Abu Al-Khasib, Basra.

Marking the International Day for Mine Awareness on April 4, the ICRC, in a statement today, called for increased efforts to reduce contamination and support mine-affected communities. Clearance operations continue in cooperation with national authorities and humanitarian partners.