ICBL-CMC and U.S. Campaign Express Deep Concern Over Suspension of Funds for Mine Clearance and Victim Assistance

The ICBL-CMC and the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines – U.S. Cluster Munition Coalition are deeply concerned about the global impact of President Trump’s 90 day stop work order for U.S. foreign assistance programming that suspends U.S.-funded mine clearance programs.

This abrupt halt threatens life-saving work in heavily contaminated countries like Ukraine, Iraq, Laos and others. The impact will be severe and immediate as contaminated farmland will remain unusable, displaced communities will not be able to safely return home, and development projects will stall in mine-affected areas. Most critically, civilians - especially children - will face increased risk of death or terrible injury in areas waiting to be cleared.

This decision contradicts both humanitarian imperatives and US interests. Mine clearance has historically enjoyed strong bipartisan support precisely because it protects both civilian and military lives while fostering global stability. Swift reinstatement of funding is crucial to prevent devastating humanitarian consequences.

The USA is the largest international funder for mine action according to the 2024 Landmine Monitor Report. From 2019 – 2023, US support totaled US$1.2 billion which represented 37% of all international support during the five year period. In 2023 alone, the US provided $309.8 million, representing 39% of all international support.

The US provides funding to over 30 mine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) affected countries, covering activities including clearance, explosive ordnance risk education, stockpile destruction, and victim assistance. In 2023 the countries funded by the US were: Afghanistan, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Colombia, Croatia, DRC, Iraq, Jordan, Kosovo, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Libya, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Palau, Palestine, Rwanda, Serbia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Ukraine, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe. All of these countries will be affected by the US decision to halt funding for mine action. Programs relying entirely on US funding will mean no mines or ERW will be removed, accidents are more likely to happen, and people living in contaminated areas will not receive the information they need to stay safe. Victim assistance programs, providing much-needed prosthetics and other elements needed for the health and well-being of landmine and ERW survivors will also be paused.

Even programs partially funded by the US will experience considerable disruption as certain activities or key staff will need to stop. The US decision will clearly have a detrimental impact on the many national staff who work for demining organizations and who work tirelessly to clear the land. In many cases they will be “stood-down” with no salary and uncertainty about when and if they will be able to work again. If they move to other positions before aid is resumed, their expertise and countless hours of training will be lost. In some contexts the halting of demining will also impact the work of other humanitarian and development agencies, who rely on mine clearance organizations to make the areas where they work safe to access.

Additionally, the US is the largest funder in several countries, including in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam, where efforts are ongoing to clear unexploded bombs, including cluster munitions, that were dropped by the American forces during the Vietnam war over 50 years ago. The US has also been the largest funder in several other countries which desperately need ongoing mine clearance, including Ukraine, Iraq, and Syria.

US-supported mine clearance has a powerful impact on the lives and wellbeing of communities worldwide. Since 1999 and the entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty, the Monitor has recorded a downward trend in annual casualties across most States Parties. The decline is especially prominent in many countries that initially reported the highest casualty rates at the time of the treaty’s entry into force in 1999. For example in Cambodia, 858 casualties were recorded in 2000, down to 32 in 2023, and for Colombia, 1,228 casualties in 2006 to 99 casualties in 2023. This can be largely contributed to the mine action work in these countries.

The ICBL-CMC sincerely hopes that a decision to reinstate such support will be made quickly as any reduction in support for global mine-clearing programs will have vast humanitarian consequences.