Myanmar Land Mine Blast Maims 7th Member of One Family as 2,029 Casualties Hit in 2024
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 13
Myanmar Land Mine Blast Maims 7th Member of One Family as 2,029 Casualties Hit in 2024
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 13
Summary
September 2023 turned John New Min into the seventh casualty in his extended family when a land mine in eastern Myanmar took his right leg and blinded him.
The blast came after he and fellow rebel soldiers had spent hours clearing mines near homes, farms and churchyards—devices the family says Myanmar’s military planted in civilian areas.
His grandfather, now 88, lost a leg to a mine in the same region 32 years earlier; an uncle and a cousin were also maimed, and three other cousins were killed.
Myanmar recorded 2,029 land-mine casualties in 2024, the highest of any country for a second straight year, according to Landmine Monitor, with children often among the victims.
The toll has worsened since the 2021 coup triggered a civil war in which the junta, facing armed resistance, has repeatedly attacked civilians and seeded mined areas they are likely to cross.
Three generations of one family have been maimed by mines. What will it take to finally break this deadly cycle in Myanmar?
With global experts barred, can villagers using drones and sticks win the war against millions of hidden landmines in Myanmar?
Myanmar’s Landmine Crisis 2024: Record Civilian Deaths, Widespread Contamination, and Barriers to Aid
Overview
Myanmar has become the world's deadliest landmine crisis zone, with civilian casualties from landmines and explosive remnants of war reaching 1,003 in 2023—almost three times higher than the previous year. The crisis worsened in 2024, with 692 civilian casualties in just six months, and about one-third of these victims are children. The true toll is likely even higher. Shan State is the hardest hit, recording the most incidents and casualties. This widespread and growing threat highlights the urgent need for international action to protect civilians and address the humanitarian emergency across Myanmar.