Due to their indiscriminate and devastating effects, the long-lasting threat posed by their presence and the painstaking efforts required to remove them, anti-personnel landmines have been prohibited by the United Nations since 1997 - a treaty joined by over 150 countries. Nevertheless, there is still an alarmingly large number of them contaminating countries across the world.
As this infographic shows, Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor classifies large swathes of the world as being contaminated to some degree with land mines. The negative effects of their presence can not be understated: "Both landmines and explosive remnants of war pose a serious and ongoing threat to civilians. These weapons can be found on roads, footpaths, farmers’ fields, forests, deserts, along borders, in and surrounding houses and schools, and in other places where people are carrying out their daily activities. They deny access to food, water, and other basic needs, and inhibit freedom of movement. They endanger the initial flight and prevent the repatriation of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), and hamper the delivery of humanitarian aid."
