ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraq remains committed to clearing all landmines and war remnants from its territory by the end of 2028, the Ministry of Environment said Sunday, warning that a lack of funding poses a major challenge to meeting the deadline.

Iktifaa al-Hassnawi, the ministry’s administrative undersecretary, told the state-run Iraqi News Agency that Iraq is internationally committed to declaring the country free of unxploded ordnance by the end of 2028, but "this commitment faces challenges in light of the lack of financial allocations."

"The United States has stopped its international support for the mine removal program," she continued. "The next government to give special and real attention to the mine issue through financial allocations and logistical support for the national effort, as well as the governors' interest in supporting and clearing their provinces."

Since taking power for this second term, US President Donald Trump has slashed funding for global aid projects, including numerous demining initiatives across the globe.

Landmines and unexploded ordnance left behind in areas once controlled by the Islamic State (ISIS) remain a major threat to civilians in Iraq, years after the group’s territorial defeat in 2017, with older war remnants from the Iraq-Iran War in the 1980s also remaining a potent threat.

On Friday, officials in the Kurdistan Region announced that a father and his 15-year-old son were killed in a landmine-contaminated area in the Choman district, northeast of Erbil.

A total of 776 square kilometers of the Kurdistan Region are contaminated with mines and remnants of war, of which 576 square kilometers have been demined, and around 200 square kilometers remain, the Region's Mine Action Agency (IKMAA) announced last year.

Military experts say thousands of mines are still buried in farmland, abandoned homes, and along roads, endangering lives and slowing reconstruction and stability efforts.

ISIS seized large parts of Iraq in 2014 before being territorially defeated by Iraqi forces backed by a US-led coalition.

Despite improved security, hidden explosives continue to cause civilian casualties, prompting repeated calls for stronger mine clearance efforts and wider awareness campaigns.