Azernews.Az

Qabil Ashirov

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A total of 421 people have fallen victim to landmines in Azerbaijan since the end of the 2020 war, with 72 fatalities and 349 individuals sustaining serious injuries, AzerNEWS reports, citing a post shared by Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, in a post marking the International Day for Mine Awareness.

In his statement, Hajiyev stressed that while the world continues to move forward, Azerbaijan still lives with a “silent and invisible threat” on a daily basis.

He noted that during the 30-year occupation period, approximately 12% of Azerbaijan’s territories were contaminated with more than 1.5 million landmines. Since 2020, over 400 civilians have been killed or seriously injured in the post-conflict period.

According to Hajiyev, mine contamination remains one of the most serious obstacles to reconstruction and recovery efforts in the Karabakh and East Zangezur regions, as well as to the safe and dignified return of internally displaced persons.

“These are not just numbers,” he said. “They represent unfinished lives, broken families, and stolen futures.”

He emphasized that demining is not merely a technical process, but a matter of justice, human dignity, and the fundamental right of people to return safely to their homes.

Official statistics also show that since 1991, a total of 3,400 people in Azerbaijan have been affected by landmines, including 362 children and young people, and 38 women.

April 4 — International Mine Awareness Day 🌍

While the world moves forward, Azerbaijan continues to live under a silent, invisible threat — every single day.

• Around 12 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory contaminated with 1.5 million more landmines by Armenia during 30 year… pic.twitter.com/eiub37iAZ5

— Hikmet Hajiyev (@HikmetHajiyev) April 3, 2026