Objectives and Significance of Launching the Landmine Counter Strategy in Iraq

Iraq is one of the most heavily mined Arab countries in the world, with efforts to clear the country of landmines and explosive remnants of war weakened.

Iraq has recently been classified by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines as one of the most contaminated countries in the world with munitions and landmines from the wars that have taken place in Iraq over the past years. Explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices remain one of the main reasons for killing and maiming a large number of civilians.

The war destroyed the country

International media reports say that wars in Iraq caused a spread of mines in the country, causing more than 30,000 casualties. Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross in Iraq revealed the size of the area contaminated with mines and the number of victims.
“Since 2017, the year ISIS has been wiped out,” The provinces that witnessed the war to eliminate ISIS are considered areas contaminated with weapons and military debris, including the old city of Mosul, Salaheddine and Kirkuk.

Mine Action Strategy and Objectives

Meanwhile, the Supreme National Committee for Mine Action announced a new plan and a strategy to support the country’s humanitarian and development efforts in accordance with the National Vision for Sustainable Development 2030, the National Development Plan and the Poverty Reduction Strategy, as well as to strengthen Iraq’s commitment to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.

“The strategy has also been agreed with the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), as well as other local and international partners, and has four main objectives.”
This includes the release of land cleared of mines and explosive remnants of war and raising awareness about the dangers of ammunition and explosive materials, raising awareness about these dangers and leading to behavioral change among all segments of society.

In addition, assistance to mine victims, gender-sensitive services and opportunities, rehabilitation and community integration, emphasis on national ownership, communication, coordination and effective information sharing.

Choking crisis

Iraqi political science professor Abdul Kareem Al-Wazzan called for implementing the strategy quickly in the country, due to the destruction of Iraqi lands and areas in the wake of the crippling crisis. In addition, he said it is supposed to address a sensitive and very dangerous issue, as the contamination of mines and explosive remnants of war stirs controversy and affects many Iraqi lives.
Al-Wazzan said the war on ISIS and the entry of wars Iran has left behind against the United States created large-scale landmine contamination that victimized all Iraqi people.

Six years after the expulsion of ISIS gangs from Iraqi territory and the liberation of all Iraqi soil – after these gangs had taken control of large parts of the country in the past – we are seeing the effects of these wars through mines scattered across many areas of Iraq, said Iraqi political researcher Amir Ali Hassoun.

He added that they had previously concentrated in the central and western provinces, taking advantage of the terrain and its rugged terrain, as well as caves, valleys, forests, and a number of hideouts, which had provided them with a safe place. But they soon declined after the security establishment awakened from shock, and the Iraqi government and Iraqi forces, which had played a major role in halting the deterioration in the security forces’ ranks by dealing with the effects of war on the terrorist organization.