Myanmar is the world's deadliest place for landmine injuries. In 2023 alone, over 1,000 people were killed or hurt by landmines and unexploded bombs left behind from war. UN reports from November 2024 document this toll. Last year, nearly 6,300 people globally were killed or injured by mines—the worst number since 2020.

The damage spreads through families. Bu Ri lost his leg to a landmine years ago. Since then, six members of his family have been hurt or killed in similar ways. His story is common in Myanmar, where fighting has gone on for more than 75 years.

A Problem Built Over Decades

Myanmar's mine problem did not start yesterday. The HALO Trust, a clearance organization working there since 2007, says the ground is loaded with mines and unexploded bombs from many different wars over the decades. Injuries come from fighting between the military, rebel groups, and armed resistance movements—a complicated web of conflict that got much worse after the military took power in February 2021.

The pace has picked up. Human Rights Watch reported in November 2024 that the junta is laying more antipersonnel mines—weapons designed to kill or maim people on foot, banned by international treaty in most countries. Myanmar never signed that treaty. Over 100,000 homes have been burned down in the fighting, and mine-laying is increasing as the military tries to control territory. The problem with these mines: they cannot tell the difference between a soldier and a farmer walking to their field, or a child going to school.

Mines Block People From Going Home

Mines do not just hurt people—they seal off entire areas. Decades of mine-laying have made farmland and villages too dangerous to enter. The ICRC, the International Red Cross, has documented since 2017 how minefields stop people from returning to their homes. Millions have been forced to leave their communities since the 2021 coup, and mines now block their path back.

Humanitarian workers face the same problem. Landmines and unexploded bombs make it harder and more dangerous for aid workers to deliver food and medicine. The EU reported in April 2025 that these weapons threaten both civilians and aid workers—a reality that aid organizations must plan around every single day.

The Gap Between Need and Help

Organizations are trying to help. The ICRC teaches communities how to spot and avoid minefields and provides physical rehabilitation like prosthetics and counseling for survivors. The HALO Trust clears mines. These programs matter. But they are losing ground: new mines are being laid faster than old ones are being cleared, and the fighting keeps aid workers from reaching contaminated areas.

About 70 countries worldwide deal with mine contamination, according to the UN. Myanmar leads in casualties because armed groups are actively choosing to use mines in towns and villages where civilians live.

In 1997, most countries signed the Ottawa Treaty to ban antipersonnel mines. Today, 164 countries follow that rule. Myanmar never signed it. Neither did the United States, Russia, or China. This means the countries pushing for change have less power to persuade armies on the ground to stop using these weapons.

As long as fighting continues, clearance teams will remove fewer mines than are being buried. Bu Ri's family shows why: one injury to one person does not end the story. It spreads.