TRIPOLI – 04 April 2026 – On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, marked this year under the theme “Invest in Peace, Invest in Mine Action,” the United Nations in Libya, highlights mine action as an enabler of civilian protection, peace and stability in Libya.
Across Libya—from homes and neighbourhoods to roads and farmland—repeated cycles of conflict and unsafe ammunition storage practices have left a legacy of explosive ordnance contamination that continues to claim lives, cause life-changing injuries and hinder recovery and development. In 2025 alone, the Libyan Mine Action Centre recorded 63 victims, including 21 children.
The large-scale hostilities in Tripoli in May 2025 and four unplanned explosions at ammunition storage sites in populated areas over the past two years demonstrate the severity of the problem. Risks from explosive ordnance contamination, including unsecured weapons and stockpiles, remain even where active conflict has subsided. For displaced families returning home, there is immediate and real danger that must be urgently addressed.
The United Nations in Libya reaffirms its commitment to supporting Libyan-led and Libyan-owned efforts to better manage weapons and ammunition stockpiles and clear explosive ordnance, and invites national authorities, international partners and civil society to scale up coordinated and sustained support for mine action to protect civilians across Libya.