Casualties Overview

For 2010, the Islamic Republic of Iran Mine Action Center (IRMAC) reported 158 antipersonnel mine casualties of which 33 people were killed and 125 were injured. Demining accidents caused 47 casualties (12 killed; 35 injured), or nearly 30% of the total; the remaining casualties were all civilians. Most (145) of the casualties were male; just 13 female casualties were reported. It was not reported how many casualties were children.

Casualties were recorded in five of Iran’s 31 provinces, all of which border Iraq. Khuzestan province had the highest number of casualties at 68, or 43% of all casualties. Illam province recorded the highest number of deminer casualties at 24; no civilian casualties were recorded in Illam. There were also a significant number of deminer casualties (17) in West Azerbaijan province.[1]

It was not possible to determine trends due to the variable quality of data available. For 2009, IRMAC casualty data was not available and just 17 casualties were identified through media reports.[2] For 2008, however, the Monitor identified 87 casualties, including 75 reported by IRMAC—slightly less than half the number that IRMAC reported for 2010.[3]

The total number of mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) casualties in Iran is unknown. The Ministry of Interior (MOI) recorded 6,765 casualties (2,840 killed; 3,925 injured) from 1988–2004 and the UN reported that there had been approximately 10,000 casualties as of 2006.[4]

As of June 2011, IRMAC was working to develop a single, comprehensive database of mine/ERW casualties, compiling information available from a variety of national Ministries and Foundations, such as the MOI, the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs (FMVA), and the Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation (IKRF), as well as from local authorities and NGOs working in mine affected provinces.[5]

Victim Assistance

The total number of survivors in Iran is unknown but is estimated to be at least 6,000.[6]

Assessing victim assistance needs

There were no victim assistance needs assessments carried out in 2010. However, the Janbazan Medical and Engineering Research Center (JMERC) continued to share the results of the 2009 quality of life assessment of 345 mine/ERW survivors from five western provinces who were injured between 1988 and 2003 with relevant government authorities. These included provincial offices of state foundations that provide support to mine/ERW victims in mine affected provinces.[7]

In 2010, as in the previous year, JMERC, with FMVA, met with child mine/ERW survivors who had been identified through the quality of life assessment to have their cases examined individually and refer them to services.[8] In March 2011 planning was underway to hold another workshop to provide similar treatment to some 186 women identified through the assessment.[9]

Victim assistance coordination[10]

The MOI is responsible for coordinating and monitoring victim assistance for all civilian survivors. Survivors or their family members must report the mine incident to the MOI office in their province to register and receive services as war victims. If the war victim status is granted to the applicant by a parliamentary commission, they are referred to the FMVA for assistance.[11] About 80% of applicants are approved for war victim status.[12]

The Department of Martyrs and Veterans, within IRMAC, is responsible for the coordination for assistance to deminers that are injured or killed as a result of a demining accident.  The Ministry of Defense monitors the provision of victim assistance to deminers.[13]

No information was reported regarding the inclusion of survivors in victim assistance planning and coordination or in the implementation of services.

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Victim assistance activities in 2010[14]

Very few changes were reported in the quality or accessibility of victim assistance services in Iran. As in previous years, medical care and physical rehabilitation services continued to be generally available for registered mine/ERW survivors through government-supported health services and the IRCS’s network of physical rehabilitation centers. However Iran continued to lack services to address survivors’ psychosocial and economic reintegration needs.[15] In 2010, an amendment to the law governing the eligibility of mine/ERW victims to receive assistance through the FMVA was approved. This ensures that all state registered victims, including family members of victims, were eligible.[16] However, it was estimated that some 20% of mine/ERW survivors were not granted war victim status and thus were not eligible for services and support from FMVA.[17] Survivors unable to receive services through FMVA could access assistance through IKRF and SWO.[18]

In 2010, JMERC and FMVA, with ICRC support, facilitated better access to appropriate specialized medical attention to another 37 child survivors, bringing the total number of child beneficiaries receiving special assistance to over 80.[19] JMERC revised medical treatment protocols to improve the quality of care based on feedback from survivors.

As in previous years, IRMAC provided emergency transport and facilitated emergency medical attention, physical rehabilitation services, and economic reintegration to deminer casualties and referred injured deminers to the FMVA for ongoing medical and other care. Deminers were also covered through occupational and health insurance.[20]

The IRCS continued to provide psychological and social support to women affected by the war, including mine survivors and family members of survivors.[21]

No information was available on economic inclusion initiatives for mine survivors in 2010. The 2009 JMERC survivor assessment found that just 12% of respondents were employed.[22] Vocational training opportunities for persons with disabilities were centralized in urban areas and were unable to meet the needs of the population.[23]

Discrimination of persons with disabilities is prohibited by law in Iran. In 2010, a lack of accessibility to buildings remained a widespread problem for persons with disabilities.[24]

Iran ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 23 October 2009.