Agency releases advisory
Heavy rain and floods raise fears of landmine exposure and risk
ERBIL — The General Directorate of Mine Affairs in Erbil issued a warning on Wednesday urging residents and visitors to avoid riverbanks and nearby mountainous areas due to heightened landmine risks following recent heavy rain and snowmelt.
The advisory specifically calls for the public to stay clear of known mine-contaminated regions and riverbanks, where flooding may have unearthed or shifted landmines and unexploded ordnances (UXO).
The Kurdistan Region’s border areas remain heavily contaminated with landmines and UXO from previous wars and heavy rainfall can unearth previously buried mines or change their locations, making them difficult to detect.
Newroz celebrations and annual spring picnics in the Kurdistan Region’s meadows and mountains may also increase risk of exposure to legacy mines.
Jabar Mustafa, head of the Kurdistan Region’s General Directorate of Mine Affairs, told 964media that surveys have identified approximately 776 square kilometers of mined land. “Through collaboration with international partners since 1992, demining efforts have significantly reduced the contaminated area to 258 square kilometers,” he said.
However, risks remains unevenly distributed across the region. Close to 60% of mines are located within Sulaymaniyah governorate, as well as areas such as Penjwen, Soran, Choman, Halabja, and Garmiyan, highlighting the vast scope of mine contamination.
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