Cluster munitions continue to disproportionately impact civilians. Two major reports published this week – the Cluster Munition Monitor 2026 and Clearing Cluster Munition Remnants 2026 – set out both the scale of the problem and the progress being made to tackle it.
The reports found that at least 1,063 people were killed or injured by cluster munitions in 2025 – one of the highest annual totals ever recorded by the Monitor since it began tracking casualties, and an increase of nearly 240% compared with the previous year.
Some 87% of reported casualties were civilians, killed or maimed by weapons that remain deadly for decades after conflict ends.
The progress and remaining scale of work
In 2025, more cluster munition-contaminated land was cleared than ever before, an increase of almost 14% on the previous record, set in 2024.
Over 85,000 unexploded submunitions were located and destroyed through clearance, survey and related operations.
The five most heavily contaminated countries – Cambodia, Iraq, Laos, Ukraine and Vietnam – accounted for more than 90% of all recorded cluster munition remnant clearance worldwide in 2025.
But the job is far from done.
At least 27 countries remain contaminated by cluster munition remnants, and new use in 2025-26 is believed or suspected to have created fresh contamination in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Mali, Myanmar, Russia and Ukraine.
Nine states could clear by 2031 – but funding is critical
Next week, a MAG delegation will attend the Third Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions – an important opportunity for states to assess progress and challenges in implementing the international treaty prohibiting the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions.
The Mine Action Review assesses that no state party is on track to fulfil its Article 4 clearance obligations by the Third Review Conference in September 2026.
However, the 2026 report finds that with sufficient funding and resources, nine states parties could potentially be cleared by 2031 – Afghanistan, Chad, Chile, Germany, Lebanon, Mali, Mauritania, Somalia and South Sudan.
A world free from cluster munition remnants is possible.
MAG calls on states and governments to:
- Prevent further use
- Fund clearance
- Support affected communities
- Meet their treaty obligations
We continue to urge all states to join and uphold the Convention, and to reaffirm their commitment to ending the enduring suffering caused by these weapons.
