The problem of mines in Iraq is a living evidence of the legacy of the long wars fought in this country, leaving behind thousands of square kilometers of land contaminated with tons of mines, thousands of unexploded ordnance, and regular or randomly scattered fields of contamination. The areas contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance which reach the central, southern and western governorates of Iraq are about (1500) square kilometers, which Basrah occupies the lead with a rate of 46%, followed by Missan  with a rate of 14%, making the provinces of Basrah, Missan and Muthanna at the forefront of the provinces of Iraq in terms of hazardous area size.

Mines and unexploded ordnance are a constant threat to the civilian population and the reconstruction and restoration operations due to their spread over large areas across: the border, agricultural lands and infrastructure. What exacerbates the matter is the lack of systematic maps for the minefields and a real database of the hazards, especially due to the possibility of change occurring to the mine sites over the years due to natural factors such as erosion, torrents and floods, All the above makes it difficult to count and mark the hazardous ordinance, especially in border villages, as well as, the lack of awareness of citizens of the right methods to deal with these mines and missiles exacerbate the problem. In addition to the above, the presence of sites containing mines and unexploded ordnance represents an obstruction to economic and social development projects and may result in thousands of victims, as well as causing disabilities for the survivors, which requires thereafter their psychological, physical and social rehabilitation and providing aids for them.

Mines and unexploded ordnance caused a decline in the use of agricultural areas, and consequently a decrease in the production of important crops due to the abandonment of farmers to their villages, especially across the border, and resorting to barren, uncultivable desert lands.

The mines also polluted the marine environment in the Shatt Al-Arab and displaced the population of the marshes and other swamps in the southern lands of Iraq after they were drained. This resulted in the decline in marine lives and inability of people to hunt them as source of living.

The mines implanted near electric power projects and oil projects, in addition to the spread of many unexploded ordnance near oil and gas pipelines, on the sides of roads, land paths and military bases, has had a clear impact in limiting the movement of people and disrupting many development projects. 

The displacement of mines and explosive ordinance due to weather and erosion processes from torrential rains and soil erosion, and thus resulting in their proximity to residential areas, as the case recently in Muthanna Governorate, where the heavy rains that hit the governorate and the resulting injuries from the displaced mines and ordinance prompted the governorates exposed to these risks, such as Diyala, Maysan and others, to seek aid in clearing the resulting hazards.

 There is no doubt that the Iraqi people were and still are the most directly affected by the mines, as the number of victims are enormous, especially in the southern regions of Iraq, in addition to the psychological, social and economic effects to the victims, not to mention the obstruction that this represents to the process of development and progress in Iraq overall.