Casualties Overview

The Azerbaijan Campaign to Ban Landmines (AzCBL) recorded 25 casualties from mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) on the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan (excluding Nagorno Karabakh); six people were killed (two civilians and four military personnel) and 19 were injured (seven civilians and twelve military). All casualties were male. The mine/ERW casualties occurred in 15 incidents (nine antipersonnel mine; four antivehicle mine and two unexploded ordnance, UXO) in the regions of Fizuli, Kazakh, Ter-Ter, Tovuz, Goychay, Sadarak, Sumgait and Baku city (in a military training area). It is possible that other casualties may have occurred for which reporting was not available.[1] In 2013, AzCBL recorded 13 mine/ERW casualties from incidents which occurred in the regions of Gazakh, Ter-Ter, Tovuz, and Absheron, as well as at a military training area in Baku.[2]

The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) recorded 22 mine/ ERW casualties for 2014; six people were killed (two civilians and four soldiers) and 16 injured (five civilians and eleven soldiers). All casualties were male.[3] ANAMA recorded eight casualties for 2013.[4]

Variation in past annual casualty data reported by key actors is due to differing collection methodologies. ANAMA collects casualty data through a network of district representatives and from media reports. Only incidents that occur in mine/ERW hazard areas and can be verified are recorded in the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA). AzCBL gathers information in affected districts (except the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic) from its regional coordinators, civil and military hospitals, and rehabilitation centers, as well as from the local media.[5]

The total number of casualties from mines/ERW in Azerbaijan is unknown. From 1999 when it first started recording casualty data to the end of 2013, AzCBL identified 451 casualties (100 killed; 338 injured; 13 unknown). According to the informal information available to AzCBL, there have been some 3,000 mines/ERW casualties in Azerbaijan, including almost 500 people killed. Most of the mines/ERW casualties occurred in 1991–1994 during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.[6]

ANAMA reported a total of 2,415 mine/ERW casualties (378 killed; 2,037 injured) in Azerbaijan from the early 1990s to the end of 2014.[7]

Victim Assistance

At least 1,843 mine/ERW survivors were known to be still living in Azerbaijan as of the end of 2010, when data was last cross-checked.[8]

Victim assistance coordination

ANAMA is the government focal point for victim assistance. Implementation of the Mine Victim Assistance (MVA) Strategy of the Azerbaijan Mine Action Program was coordinated through the MVA Working Group, led by ANAMA, which included national NGOs, the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society (AzRCS), and other relevant organizations.[9] Victim assistance was carried out within the broader UNDP- and ANAMA-agreed project “Further expansion of mine action capacity in Azerbaijan” (2011–2015).[10]

The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population (MLSPP) and the Ministry of Health are responsible for protecting the rights of persons with disabilities more generally.[11]

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Regional centers for the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities existed in 14 municipalities of Azerbaijan.[12] The MLSPP provided rehabilitation and prostheses through these regional rehabilitation centers and through the Rehabilitation Center of Invalids of the Republic in Baku.

AzCBL continued to raise awareness among survivors and persons with disabilities about their rights and current relevant legislation. It also assisted mine/ERW survivors in the Fizuli, Beylaqan, and Imishli regions directly by providing professional legal assistance and supporting survivors through the legal processes necessary to access ongoing benefits and support. This legal assistance had not previously been available in those regions. Eighteen people with disabilities received legal advice organized in the frame of the project. The beneficiaries included landmine survivors, disabled people of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and veterans (former Soviet Union) with disabilities from armed conflict in Afghanistan.[13]

National legislation prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities. There was no legislation mandating access to public or other buildings for persons with disabilities, and most buildings were not accessible.[14]

Azerbaijan ratified the CRPD and its Optional Protocol on 28 January 2009.