Covid-19 is hampering efforts to clear the world’s mine fields

How has Covid affected your life? For those in the world’s war zones, the impact of the pandemic has been truly devastating. Coronavirus is one of many dangers facing those who have fled violence and bloodshed. It has also left refugees with agonising choices: to remain in lockdown in camps, where resources may become scarce; or to return home, and risk death.

In north east Nigeria, which is at the epicentre of a grave humanitarian crisis, there was a landmine casualty every single day for the first 20 weeks of last year. Here, food and other humanitarian aid has been disrupted by the pandemic. Strains on the system have prompted the government to accelerate its plans to resettle displaced people, including to areas heavily contaminated with improvised landmines planted by Boko Haram. Desperate people forage for food and firewood in areas riddled with explosives with devastating consequences.

In Iraq, Covid-related issues led to thousands abandoning the safety of internally displaced persons’ (IDP) camps and returning to areas still littered with deadly improvised landmines laid by Isis.