More than 100 million people worldwide are at risk from landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday, in his message for the International Day for Mine Awareness.
“Even when the guns fall silent, these remnants of war remain, lurking in fields and on pathways and roadways, threatening the lives of innocent civilians and the livelihoods of communities,” he described. From Afghanistan to Myanmar; from Sudan to Ukraine, Syria, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and beyond; these deadly devices litter rural and urban areas, indiscriminately killing civilians and blocking vital humanitarian and development efforts. On average, one person is killed or injured by explosive devices every hour – many of them children.
Read more…
Source: United nations News
Sign up for Counter-IED Report Newsletter
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox.
Related:
- UN: Global demining work strained by rising conflicts and shrinking aid
May 2, 2026
Demining experts from around the world have been sharing their collective shock at the widespread and growing threat from unexploded ordnance, the new head of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) said this week. “They’re telling me, ‘Never in my career have I ever seen so many conflicts,’” said Kazumi Ogawa, speaking at the close of ...
- Nigeria, Türkiye agree on military training facility to boost defence cooperation
April 20, 2026
Nigeria and Türkiye have reached an agreement to establish a major military training facility in Nigeria as part of a broader defence partnership aimed at strengthening the country’s security architecture and enhancing military capacity. Under the arrangement, Nigerian military personnel will undergo specialised training in areas such as special operations, counterterrorism, intelligence coordination, counter-drone and counter-improvised ...
- UN peacekeeper killed, three wounded while clearing explosive ordnance in south Lebanon
April 18, 2026
A United Nations peacekeeper was killed and three others wounded after a UNIFIL patrol came under small-arms fire while clearing explosive ordnance along a road in the southern Lebanese village of Ghandouriyeh, the peacekeeping mission said on Saturday. Two of the wounded peacekeepers were seriously injured, it said. UNIFIL said initial assessments indicated the fire came ...
- Invest in Peace; Invest in Mine Action
April 1, 2026
The world marks the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action on 4 April, reaffirming the essential role mine action plays in securing peace, enabling recovery, and driving sustainable development. This year’s global theme, “Invest in Peace, Invest in Mine Action,” highlights a fundamental truth: peace cannot be sustained where landmines, cluster munition ...
- UN condemns killing of two more peacekeepers in Lebanon
March 30, 2026
The United Nations has condemned two consecutive days of deadly attacks on peacekeepers serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), amid rising hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants. Two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed on Monday, and two more were injured, in an explosion that hit a UNIFIL logistics convoy, destroying their vehicle. The ...
- UN: Sea mines clearance, a new dimension of difficulty
March 30, 2026
It is still not clear whether mines, which can sink vessels of all types if activated, have been deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, as part of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Most shipping has not been able to pass through the strategically important strait as Iran continues its war with the United States, ...
- UN mine action chiefs for Ethiopia and Sudan call for more funding
March 19, 2026
The heads of United Nations landmine action programmes in Ethiopia and Sudan have called for more funding and awareness of contamination by munitions. Both say mines kill and maim a disproportionate number of children, adding that people cannot return to safety without addressing explosive hazards. Speaking at UN headquarters in New York, the Ethiopia chief said ...
- Nigeria: NPF, UNMAS train personnel on counter-IEDs in Northeast
March 1, 2026
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), in collaboration with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), has trained its personnel on the counter-Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the Northeast. According to the Borno State Police Command, the seven-month training commenced from July 28, 2025, to February 27, 2026, at the Maiduguri Police Headquarters. Spokesperson of the command, ...
- UNODC facilitates regional exchange on strengthening cross-border coordination in countering use of IEDs and drones in the Sahel
February 25, 2026
Terrorist violence continues to pose a serious threat to stability and security across West Africa, with the Sahel region remaining the epicentre of global terrorism-related deaths. In recent years, terrorist groups, particularly those affiliated with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) and Al-Qaida, have increasingly relied on asymmetric tactics, notably Improvised Explosive Devices ...
- Kenya: Capacity consultations to strengthen Eastern Africa’s response to terrorist use of IEDs
February 16, 2026
The Global Programme on Countering Terrorist Use of Weaponsof the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) co-organized a capacity consultations workshop with the National Counter Terrorism Centre of Kenya (NCTC) from 28 to 29 January 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya. Hosted by the Humanitarian Peace Support Center, the consultations were held under the project “Supporting Eastern Africa ...
- Afghanistan: The hidden explosive threat
February 16, 2026
In Afghanistan, the guns have fallen silent, but the war remains buried beneath the soil in the form of deadly explosive items, including landmines and unexploded remnants of war. The European Union supports mine clearance efforts so communities can safely use land for farming, housing, and schools, while also funding risk education and providing medical ...
- UNSC members say IS-K in Afghanistan remains serious threat to region, beyond
February 5, 2026
Members of the UN Security Council warned on Tuesday that Islamic State’s Khorasan affiliate (IS-K) in Afghanistan continues to pose a serious threat to regional and international security, despite a reported decline in attacks. The council met under the agenda item “Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts” to review the UN secretary-general’s ...
- UN reviews mine clearance efforts in Libya
January 31, 2026
The United Nations has reviewed progress and challenges in mine clearance operations across Libya, highlighting significant gains but warning of funding and capacity constraints. The UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), operating under the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), said more than 1.5 million square metres of land were cleared of explosive remnants of war in ...
- Lebanon: UNIFIL-supported campaign launched to reduce risk of explosives
January 27, 2026
UNIFIL launched last week an explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) campaign targeting potentially vulnerable groups, including children and displaced people, in the mission’s area of operation. Working in coordination with the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the Lebanese Mine Action Centre (LMAC) and non-governmental organizations, UNIFIL peacekeepers will reach, over the next couple of months, hundreds ...
- Libya: Ministry of Defense in the Government of National Unity discusses joint cooperation with the United Nations Mine Action Service
January 14, 2026
A consultative meeting was held this Tuesday. It took place at the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense of the Government of National Unity. The Ministry’s Office of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law participated. The United Nations Mine Action Service in Libya also attended. They discussed aspects of joint cooperation. The meeting focused on capacity building ...
- UNODC Organizes Expert Group Meeting to Standardize Procedures on Evidence Collection in Terrorism-related Incidents in Remote Border Areas in Bénin
January 13, 2026
Northern Benin faces growing security challenges as terrorist groups exploit remote border areas to carry out attacks against civilians and security forces, including incidents involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs). While military operations have strengthened security in these regions, significant gaps remain in ensuring that evidence collected during counter-terrorism interventions is admissible before national courts. Limited access ...
- Lebanon: Chinese peacekeepers obtain UN mine clearance, EOD qualifications
January 7, 2026
BEIRUT, Jan. 7 — A total of 69 members of the 24th Chinese peacekeeping force to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) successfully passed the assessment by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and obtained the UN mine clearance and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) qualifications on January 5, 2026. The mine clearance and ...
- UN, US sign $2 billion humanitarian funding agreement for 17 crisis-hit countries
December 29, 2025
The United Nations and the United States on Monday formalized an agreement under which the US committed $2 billion in humanitarian assistance for global relief programmes, a move the UN’s top relief official hailed as a landmark commitment to saving lives amid escalating humanitarian needs worldwide. Speaking at the signing in Geneva, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator ...
- Somalia, AU mission and UN appeal for urgent funding to support security forces
December 16, 2025
Somali federal government, the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) have jointly appealed for urgent donor contributions to sustain support for Somali Security Forces. The appeal was made during a Somali Security Forces (SSF) Trust Fund event held in Mogadishu on Tuesday. The meeting ...
- Sudan: Six peacekeepers killed in drone attack on UN logistics base in South Kordofan
December 15, 2025
A solemn farewell ceremony was held on Monday at the headquarters of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) to honour six Bangladeshi peacekeepers killed in a drone attack on a UN logistics base in Kadugli, South Kordofan. Providing an update at the daily noon briefing, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told correspondents that the ...
- Ukraine: UN FAO, Qatar Fund for Development allocate $10 mln to support rural communities affected by mine risk
December 9, 2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) have signed an agreement worth $10 million to support rural communities affected by potential contamination of agricultural land with mines and explosive remnants of war in Ukraine, the FAO press service reported. “The programme aims to restore safe use ...
- Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention to hold its Twenty-Second Meeting of States Parties from 1 to 5 December 2025
December 1, 2025
The Twenty-Second Meeting of States Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention is being held from 1 to 5 December 2025 at the Palais des Nations, Geneva. The Meeting opened at 10 a.m. on Monday, 1 December, under the Presidency of Ambassador Tomiko Ichikawa of Japan. The opening session featured a video-message from the United Nations ...
