De-activated landmine from Iraqi Kurdistan Region, (Kurdistan24 Archives)
On Friday, March 20, a man living in a village near the city of Soran in Iraqi Kurdistan, was killed by a landmine explosion.
He is the latest victim of a pervasive threat. Over 2644 people have been killed by landmine explosions in Iraqi Kurdistan, and 10,588 have been injured.
Iraqi Kurdistan is one of the most densely mined regions in the world. Saddam Hussein, the Ba’athist dictator who ruled Iraq for 24 years, laid thousands of minefields during the numerous wars that occurred during his leadership, most of these minefields are in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Every border of Iraqi Kurdistan (Iran, Syria, Turkey and Southern Iraq), about 776 square kilometers, are armed with deadly mines. The UN estimates that are 25 million landmines still buried in the topsoil of Iraq.
CLICK TO SUPPORT FAI’S WORK IN KURDISTAN
FAI has teams on the ground throughout Kurdistan, partnering with authorities and residents for medical care, education, aid distribution and more.
Minefields, though “force multipliers” and effectively defenders of borders, have long-term devastating consequences for civilians. In Iraqi Kurdistan, in addition to the noncombatant injuries and death, mines occupy fertile agricultural land, which could be put to beneficial use to locals, and build long-term growth and prosperity.
To date, over 2 million mines have been de-activated and 500 square kilometers of land, saving thousands of lives. However, there remains the menace of 270 square kilometers of mined land that needs to be cleared, a desperately urgent need in northern Iraq.
FAI teams on the ground, ready to engage this need, and building de-mining teams to meet the challenge.
To give towards de-mining efforts, go to our Kurdistan operations page here.
