An international landmine watchdog says new uses of the weapon are "extremely rare" but that fighting in Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine and Yemen has led to a second consecutive year of high casualties.
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines said in an annual report Thursday there were 8,605 casualties, including 2,089 deaths, from mines in 2016. That includes improvised explosive devices and unexploded ordnance that are triggered like mines.
Of those casualties, 78 percent were civilians, and the total included the most child casualties ever recorded. They took place in 52 countries.
Under a 1999 international treaty, countries agree to not use or produce antipersonnel mines, destroy their existing stockpiles, provide assistance to mine victims and clear their territory of mines within 10 years of joining the pact.
On Wednesday, the ICBL welcomed Sri Lanka as the 163rd country to be fully bound by the treaty and said it hopes others in the region will join as well.
Thursday's report said Myanmar and Syria had the only government forces that actively planted mines during the past year. Neither is a party to the mine ban treaty.
一个监督地雷使用的国际组织说,地雷使用情况极为罕见,但是阿富汗、利比亚、乌克兰和也门的冲突中地雷连续第二年造成大量人员伤亡。
国际禁止地雷运动在星期四公布的年度报告中说,地雷在2016年造成8605人伤亡,其中2089人丧生。这个数字包括自制炸弹以及像地雷一样造成人员伤亡的未爆弹药。
地雷造成的丧生人员中,78%是平民,其中儿童人数为历来最高。统计数字基于对52个国家的调查。
1999年一项国际条约的签约国同意不再使用或生产杀伤人员的地雷,销毁库存,为地雷受害者提供帮助,并在签署这项条约10年之内清除领土内的所有地雷。
国际禁止地雷运动星期三欢迎斯里兰卡成为全面加入这项条约的第163个国家,并希望该区域其它国家也加入条约。
星期四公布的报告说,在所有国家中,只有缅甸和叙利亚的政府军在2016年仍然埋设新的地雷。这两个国家都没有签署禁止地雷的国际条约。
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