UNICEF: Casualties from landmines rise to 1,052 over 2023 in Myanmar

The UNICEF reported on Wednesday that the number of civilian casualties, including children, killed or maimed by landmines and explosive ordnance in Myanmar more than doubled last year to 1,052, VOA announced in an article yesterday.

The figure was the result of a 270% increase in casualties, with 188 killed and 864 wounded in 2023, up from 390 casualties in 2022, the report said.

The UNICEF report highlights that children accounted for over 20% of the landmine victims.

The conflict in Myanmar, which began after the military seized power in a 2021 coup, has made the country one of the most landmine-contaminated in the world.

Both armed civilian resistance and ethnic armed groups have joined forces against the military, leading to escalating conflict where landmines and explosive ordnance are being indiscriminately used by all sides.