Casualties

No new casualties of mines/explosive remnants of war (ERW) in the Hellenic Republic (Greece) were identified in 2015. The last ERW casualty was identified in 2012. In January of that year, local media reported that an Albanian man was injured by an explosive item said to be an antipersonnel mine in the forest along the Ioannina-Kakkavos national road.[1] Casualties identified before 2012 include four mine casualties in 2008.[2]

Between 1999 and 2015, the Monitor identified at least 109 landmine casualties (66 killed and 43 injured); the majority of casualties were non-Greek citizens. Between 1954 and 2007, at least 31 deminers were killed. From 1954 to 2002, 17 military personnel were injured in clearance operations.[3] The vast majority of casualties were migrants and asylum seekers entering Greece through border areas. The head of the clearance battalion reported that some 187 non-Greek citizens had been injured between 1995 and early 2007.[4]

Victim Assistance

There is no report on the total number of mine/ERW survivors living in Greece.

There were no economic reintegration opportunities or psychological support for survivors. The main coordination body regarding disability policy at the national level is the Ministry of Labour, Social Insurance and Social Solidarity, which is in charge of social protection, policy for assessment of disability, and pensions. The Ministry of Health regulates policy related to healthcare as well as the organization of health and social care establishments.[5] Most landmine survivors injured in Greece were asylum seekers or illegal immigrants who face precarious situations and could not always access services.[6] A number of NGOs operate in Greece, many of which provide services on the ground for persons with disabilities among refugees and asylum seekers, including mine/ERW survivors.[7]

Greece ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on 30 May 2012.