5 Pillars of Mine Action: Victim Assistance

Victim Assistance is a core pillar of mine action and a legal obligation for States Parties under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. Article 6 of the Convention states that:

“Each State Party in a position to do so shall provide assistance for the care and rehabilitation, and social and economic reintegration, of mine victims and for mine awareness programmes.”

In the context of the Convention, the term “victim” is used as the official legal term. However, victim assistance work is centered on supporting survivors, people who have lived through a mine or explosive ordnance accident and continue to face its long-term physical, psychological, social, and economic consequences.

Anti-personnel mines are designed to detonate through human contact. As a result, civilians are disproportionately affected, often while carrying out everyday activities such as farming, walking to school, collecting water, or playing outdoors. According to the Landmine Monitor, civilians represented approximately 90% of recorded casualties in 2024, and nearly half of those casualties were children. These figures underscore the devastating and lasting humanitarian impact of explosive hazards.

Mine injuries are among the most severe injuries treated in war surgery. Explosions can cause traumatic amputations, blindness, burns, shrapnel wounds, and lifelong disabilities. Survivors frequently require emergency medical care, multiple surgeries, rehabilitation, prosthetic limbs, psychosocial support, and assistance rebuilding their livelihoods and social connections.

Victim Assistance addresses both the immediate and long-term needs of survivors, their families, and affected communities.

It includes:

• Emergency and continuing medical care

• Physical rehabilitation and prosthetic support

• Mental health and psychosocial services

• Education and livelihood assistance

• Social and economic reintegration

• Advocacy for the rights and inclusion of survivors and persons with disabilities

Victim Assistance is not limited to medical treatment. It is a rights-based and humanitarian effort aimed at restoring dignity, independence, and inclusion.

UNMAS and Victim Assistance

As part of its role in coordinating mine action, United Nations Mine Action Service programmes support victim assistance in line with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) 13.10. UNMAS focuses on four essential areas:

• Conducting outreach and data collection to identify survivors and people in need of assistance

• Identifying gaps in emergency and long-term support services

• Connecting survivors to healthcare, rehabilitation, psychosocial care, and referral services, including transport or communication assistance during emergencies

• Mobilizing resources and supporting service delivery where local systems or providers are unavailable

A Lifelong Commitment

Victim assistance requires a continuum of multisectoral assistance.

A child who loses a limb may require multiple prosthetic replacements as they grow. Survivors may need years of rehabilitation, continued healthcare, mental health support, and assistance accessing education or employment opportunities. Families and communities are also affected by the long-term economic and social consequences of injuries.

This makes sustained funding and long-term political commitment essential. While donor priorities may change over time, the needs of survivors continue throughout their lives.