Measured in decades: The enduring human cost of anti-personnel mines and other explosive ordnance

For communities living with weapon contamination, ordinary activities can turn life-threatening.

Children are particularly vulnerable to being threatened by unexploded ordnance, not only because of where they go or play, but how they see the world.

In Iraq, teenager Sirwan Nabi was only 16 years old when he picked up an object he found on the ground because “it looked beautiful… small, like a pipe, yellow and shiny.” It exploded in his hand, causing him to lose his arm and changing his life forever.

Moments like these do not only cause devastating injury. They interrupt childhood.

For many children, the consequences extend far beyond the initial blast. Education can be disrupted immediately. After losing the hand he used to write, Sirwan had to relearn basic skills and fell behind in school. “Writing is hard,” he explains. “I’m trying to cope.”

Across affected communities, children may miss months or years of education, struggle to keep up with classmates, or leave school altogether.

Even for those not directly injured, the presence of explosive hazards shapes daily life - limiting movement, restricting play, and creating a constant sense of risk.

Today, 52 countries and territories remain affected by anti-personnel mines and other explosive remnants of war  (according to Landmine Monitor 2025).