6 children killed by mines in February: UNICEF
"ERWs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) remain one of the leading causes of killing and maiming of children in Iraq, with boys particularly affected."

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A total of six Iraqi children, all boys, have lost their lives due to explosive remnants of war (ERW) in February, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement on Monday.
Moreover, UNICEF said explosive remnants had maimed ten children (nine boys, one girl).
"ERWs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) remain one of the leading causes of killing and maiming of children in Iraq, with boys particularly affected," UNICEF said.
UNICEF said it's alarmed by the high number of children affected by explosive remnants, such as mines, and urged "all stakeholders to accelerate efforts to clear existing mines and unexploded ordnance, expand risk education, and promote victim assistance."
"Combined, this upholds children's right to a safe and protective environment."
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Spokesperson of UNICEF in Iraq Miguel Mateos Muñoz told Kurdistan 24 that in January three children (two girls and a boy) were killed by explosive remnants in January adn another two (a boy and a girl) were maimed.
"This February has been the month with the highest number of victims since July 2021 (since 2021, only January and July 2021 had a higher number than February 2022), and every month we continue to see how children get killed or maimed as a result of explosive remnants of war," he told Kurdistan 24. "This needs to stop."
"The number of children affected by explosive remnants of war continues to be one of the main reasons of children are killed and maimed in Iraq," he said.
"Therefore, enhanced advocacy is needed to raise awareness on the importance of educating children and families in affected communities and urge all parties to accelerate every effort to clear existing mines and unexploded ordnance, promote victim assistance, and uphold children’s right to a safe and protective environment."
UNICEF said it will continue its work with partners, including the Directorate of Mine Action within the Government of Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency, to "raise awareness and increase safety for children, their families and communities in highly contaminated areas."
Iraq is probably the most mined place on earth due to all the wars that have taken place there over the past four decades.
Read More: Landmines don't expire: the deadly legacy of war weapons in Kurdistan
There are many landmines and explosive remnants in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq due to decades of bloody conflict between Iraq and Iraq between 1980 and 1988, as well as the former Baathist regime's later attempts to control the movement of civilians or Kurdish Peshmerga throughout the mountainous border regions.
Moreover, vast quantities of the explosives date back to the Iraq War (2003-11) and ISIS's reign of terror from 2014 onward.