Human Rights Solidarity Warns of Rising Landmine Casualties in Libya and Calls for Real Investment in Mine Action
Tripoli, Libya | 4 April 2026
On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, Human Rights Solidarity urged stronger national and international efforts to address the widespread contamination of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) in Libya, stressing that investing in mine action is a direct investment in peace and human security.
According to the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), 63 people—including 21 children—were killed in 2025 due to landmines, ERW, and ammunition depot explosions. UNMAS reported the disposal of 57,203 explosive items and the delivery of risk‑education sessions to 42,321 people during the same year.
The organization warned that explosive contamination continues to hinder the safe return of thousands of internally displaced persons and threatens critical infrastructure. It also condemned the continued use of landmines and booby‑traps in residential areas, describing such acts as violations of international humanitarian law.
Human Rights Solidarity called on Libyan authorities to:
End the politicization of the mine action file
Provide comprehensive support to victims and survivors
Strengthen national clearance capacities
Prosecute those responsible for planting mines
Accede to the Anti‑Personnel Mine Ban Convention and the Convention on Cluster Munitions
The organization concluded by emphasizing that this year’s UN theme “Invest in Peace… Invest in Mine Action”, reflects the urgent need for decisive action to protect civilians and build a safer future for all Libyans.
| Ref: PRS 2026/04/1028 | April 4, 2026 |
Statement on the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action
“Invest in Peace… Invest in Mine Action”
Every year on 4 April, the United Nations marks the International Day for Mine Awareness[1] and Assistance in Mine Action to highlight the grave dangers posed by landmines, explosive remnants of war (ERW), and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). These indiscriminate weapons continue to threaten the lives, safety, and dignity of civilians, obstruct humanitarian access, and hinder social and economic development long after conflicts have subsided.
Globally, more than 100 million people live in areas contaminated by mines and ERW. According to the United Nations, one person is killed or injured every hour by an explosive device. Children make up a significant proportion of the victims, and the increasing use of IEDs in armed conflicts continues to endanger civilians, humanitarian workers, and UN personnel.
This year, the world commemorates the day under the theme: “Invest in Peace… Invest in Mine Action.” The theme underscores that mine action is not merely a technical activity, it is a strategic investment in peacebuilding, recovery, and sustainable development. Clearing contaminated land restores safety, enables displaced families to return home, supports livelihoods, and lays the foundation for long‑term stability.
According to international reporting[2], at least 6,279 people were killed or injured by landmines and ERW in 2024. Civilians accounted for 90% of all casualties, and children represented 46% of the civilian victims in cases where age was known[3]. These figures reflect the enduring and devastating impact of explosive ordnance, which continues to claim lives decades after conflicts end.
Libya remains one of the countries most heavily affected by explosive ordnance contamination, due to remnants of World War II, subsequent regional conflicts, and the extensive use of landmines and IEDs in recent years.
According to the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL): 63 people, including 21 children[4], were killed in 2025[5] in incidents involving landmines, ERW, and accidental ammunition depot explosions in populated areas.
These incidents highlight the severity of contamination and the ongoing threat to civilians, particularly displaced families returning to their homes.
According to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Libya:
- 57,203 explosive remnants of war were located and safely disposed of.
- 42,321 people received explosive ordnance risk education through 2,882
- Non‑technical survey covered 222,214,175 m², identifying 278,650 m² as confirmed hazardous areas.
- 1,281,934 m² of contaminated land were cleared.
Approximately 50,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) still require support to ensure safe and voluntary return, particularly from heavily contaminated areas such as Tawergha, Murzuq, and Derna. Critical infrastructure — including water and electricity networks, hospitals, schools, markets, and residential areas — has been severely affected by explosive ordnance contamination.
Evidence shows that militias and Russian mercenaries, Wagner, aligned with Khalifa Haftar planted hundreds of landmines and booby‑traps[6] in residential neighborhoods south of Tripoli[7] and around Sirte during 2019–2020. Some devices were found attached to children’s toys[8], an egregious violation of international humanitarian law and acts that constitute war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court[9].
Human Rights Solidarity affirms that mine action in Libya is an urgent humanitarian necessity and a direct responsibility of the Libyan authorities. Clearing explosive ordnance is essential to:
- Protect civilian lives
- Enable the safe return of displaced families
- Restore essential services
- Support stabilization and reconstruction
The organization calls on the Libyan authorities to:
- End the politicization of the mine action file, the suffering of victims must not be exploited for political purposes. Mine action is a humanitarian and rights‑based issue that requires unified national commitment.
- Provide comprehensive support to victims and survivors, including medical care, rehabilitation, psychosocial support, and socio‑economic reintegration.
- Strengthen national mine action capacities, by training clearance teams, improving equipment, and aligning national standards with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS).
- Hold perpetrators accountable. Those responsible for planting landmines and IEDs in civilian areas must be prosecuted domestically and internationally.
- Join international treaties, Human Rights Solidarity reiterates its call for Libya to accede to:
- The Anti‑Personnel Mine Ban Convention
- The Convention on Cluster Munitions
These instruments are essential to protecting civilians and preventing future harm.
Conclusion
Investing in mine action is investing in peace, human security, and the future of Libya. Human Rights Solidarity remains committed to documenting violations, supporting victims, and advocating for a Libya free from landmines and explosive remnants of war.
Human Rights Solidarity Organisation
Tripoli – Libya
April 2, 2026
[1] United Nations: “International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action”, April 4, 2026.
[2] The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL): “The Landmine Monitor 2025 report”, December 2025.
[3] At least 5,757 people were killed or injured by landmines and ERW in 2023. Civilians accounted for 84% of all casualties, and children represented 37% of the civilian victims in cases where age was known. ICBL: “The Landmine Monitor 2025 report”, November 2024.
[4] Alwasat News website: “63 people killed by landmines in Libya during 2025”, April 4, 2026.
[5] According to the report by United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), of the 52 people killed in 2025 in Libya, 19 were children. United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS): “Casualties of Mines, IEDs, and ERWs in Libya, 2025”.
[6] In 2020, there was a substantial increase in the number of casualties—particularly among civilians—compared to 2019. This escalation resulted from landmines and booby‑trapped devices planted by militias aligned with Khalifa Haftar and Russian mercenaries (Wagner) in residential areas, as well as in health and public service facilities located in the southern suburbs of Tripoli and the areas surrounding the city of Sirte. These incidents occurred in addition to casualties caused by explosive remnants of war.
[7] The districts of Khalat al‑Furjan, Salah al‑Din, Al‑Sidra, and Ain Zara in Tripoli are among the areas most severely affected by the threat of landmines planted inside civilian homes. These neighborhoods witnessed intense hostilities between forces of the Government of National Accord and militias, and foreign mercenaries aligned with Haftar. Prior to their withdrawal, these militias and mercenaries emplaced hundreds of improvised explosive devices and landmines throughout the aforementioned areas. Experts consider these devices to pose an exceptionally grave risk to civilians, as they remain active for decades and are equipped with highly sensitive, recoil‑activated triggering mechanisms.
[8] One of the victims of these landmines reported that the booby‑trapping methods he witnessed in the affected neighborhoods south of Tripoli could only indicate a deliberate intent to target civilians. This is further corroborated by images circulated on social media from those areas—most notably the widely shared photograph of a landmine attached to a child’s toy inside a bedroom. Al Jazeera Mubasher documented this in its report titled: “In Pictures: Haftar’s Forces Booby‑Trap Children’s Toys Before Withdrawing”, June 4, 2020.
[9] International Committee of the Red Cross: “Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, adopted in Rome on 17 July 1998”. Article 8, paragraphs (2‑a‑3), (2‑a‑4), (2‑b‑1), (2‑b‑2), and (2‑b‑9).
