Awareness teams deployed in the area

Families in Soran border areas warned of landmine dangers

SORAN – Families in the border areas of Soran Autonomous Administration in the Kurdistan Region are being cautioned about the hazards of landmines and unexploded ordnance as they relocate to mountainous regions for agricultural or livestock herding purposes. Two alert teams have been deployed to provide safety guidance to these families.

The Kurdistan Region remains heavily contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance, remnants of prolonged conflicts including the eight-year long Iran-Iraq War and operations by the former Iraqi Baathist regime against Kurdish revolutionaries.

Operating under the Directorate of Mine Affairs in Erbil, the teams use conversations, visual demonstrations, and posters to warn families about these risks. This outreach coincides with the annual migration of herders and farmers to resorts and mountainous areas across Kurdistan, where local authorities provide environmental safety guidelines.

According to the Kurdistan Mine Action Agency, approximately 776 square kilometers of land in the region remain contaminated with mines. Since demining operations began in 1992, about 60 percent of this area has been cleared, leaving 258 square kilometers still affected. The distribution of landmine risks is uneven, with nearly 60 percent concentrated in Sulaymaniyah governorate and other border areas like Penjwen, Soran, Choman, Halabja, and Garmiyan.

Ali Abdulrahman, Director of Mine Affairs in Erbil, emphasized the urgency of the teams’ deployment following the closure of schools to provide guidance to families residing in high-risk border regions. “The teams have warned several families in these border regions, which are at high risk due to landmines and unexploded ordnance,” Abdulrahman stated.

Since the 1990s, over 13,400 casualties have been recorded in the Kurdistan Region due to landmines, including fatalities and injuries leading to disabilities. Abdulrahman highlighted the risk of displaced mines and ordnance due to winter rains, further endangering residents.

Images of warning signs, landmines, and unexploded ordnance are presented to family members to aid recognition and avoidance of these hazards. The Kurdistan Mine Action Agency oversees ongoing demining efforts, focusing on highly affected areas such as Sulaymaniyah and Garmiyan, with support from local and international NGOs.

Abdulrahman said that these efforts will persist until all families facing potential risks are reached.

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