War remnants haunt Iraq as Basra leads in contamination
Shafaq News/ Hidden beneath Iraq’s soil, the deadly remnants of decades-old wars continue to claim lives and cripple communities — with Basra province standing at the epicenter of the crisis.
Remnants Claim Lives in Basra
Decades after Saddam's fall, remnants of past wars still impact civilian life, especially in the southern province of Basra, where unexploded ordnance and landmines contaminate large swaths of land, particularly in the Al-Zubair district.
Al-Zubair district commissioner Abbas Taher told Shafaq News that more than 54 million square meters remain affected by munitions, including cluster bombs that can detonate on contact. These hazards continue to kill or injure civilians and restrict economic development by rendering land unusable for agriculture or infrastructure projects.
Taher also pointed to a rise in cancer rates, particularly pancreatic cancer, which he attributes to depleted uranium munitions used during coalition airstrikes.
Landmines Spread Beyond Basra
Explosive remnants of war contaminate vast areas across 19 of Iraq’s 22 provinces, particularly along the southern and eastern borders. These include mines and cluster munitions left over from the Iran-Iraq War (1980–88), the Gulf War 1991, and the US invasion (2003). Political analyst Abbas Al-Jubouri noted that minefields extend across Iraq’s southern border with Iran, with seasonal floods having swept mines into neighboring Maysan and Wasit provinces.
Human rights advocate Fadel Al-Gharawi, head of the Strategic Center for Human Rights, stated in February that Iraq remains one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world, noting that over 6,600 square kilometers have been identified as contaminated since 2003. As of 2024, only 4,540 square kilometers had been cleared, leaving over 2,000 still in need of demining.
“Basra is the most affected province, with approximately 1,200 square kilometers of contaminated land, followed by Al-Muthanna and Diyala,” Al-Gharawi revealed, adding that more than 30,000 Iraqis — including women and children — have been killed or injured by landmines and war remnants since 2003.
“In 2022 alone, more than 150 people were killed or wounded by landmines across Iraq, while the Kurdistan Region recorded 13,500 victims,” he added.
Landmine Clearance Efforts
Iraq is intensifying efforts to clear landmines and unexploded ordnance as authorities work to address one of the country’s most pressing post-conflict challenges. Decades after major hostilities ended, vast areas of Iraqi territory remain hazardous, prompting renewed commitments from national and international actors to accelerate demining operations.
The Directorate of Mine Action (DMA), under Iraq’s Ministry of Environment, has led clearance campaigns across contaminated provinces, prioritizing high-risk zones near residential areas, farmland, and infrastructure corridors. In 2023 alone, Iraqi authorities cleared more than 22 million square meters of land, destroying thousands of anti-personnel and anti-tank mines.
The Kurdistan-based Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency (IKMAA) has also contributed significantly, clearing more than 2.8 million square meters in recent operations, with support from local and international partners.
International organizations, including the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), are working alongside Iraqi agencies to expand technical capacity, provide risk education, and deliver equipment and funding for clearance missions.
Authorities stress that while clearance operations have expanded, the scale of contamination still poses a serious humanitarian and development challenge. Without continued international cooperation and increased national investment, mine action experts warn that the path to a mine-free Iraq will remain slow and costly.
