UN Calls for Urgent Action as Afghanistan’s Land is Heavily Contaminated by Explosives

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has expressed deep concern over the contamination of two-thirds of Afghanistan’s land by explosive materials, reporting that an average of 15 civilians lose their lives each month due to mine explosions. The agency emphasized that most of the casualties are children, underscoring the urgent need for a budget of $14.5 million to tackle this crisis by 2026.

Children: The Primary Victims of War Residue

In its latest report, the UN humanitarian agency warned that millions of Afghans face daily threats from landmines and unexploded ordnance left over from decades of conflict. The organization shared on social media platform X that approximately two-thirds of Afghanistan is affected by various types of explosive materials, severely jeopardizing the safety of residents in these areas. For more on civilian casualties in the region, you can read the UN Report Highlights Alarming Civilian Casualties Amid Taliban-Pakistan Clashes.

Urgent Need for Funding to Support Mine Clearance Operations

Statistics reveal that, on average, 15 civilians are killed each month due to encounters with these deadly remnants. On April 4, World Awareness Day on the Dangers of Mines, the UN Human Rights Office disclosed that a total of 471 people across Afghanistan died from explosions last year. Alarmingly, children accounted for 67 percent of these fatalities, highlighting their extreme vulnerability to the deadly legacy of war. This increasing toll is further emphasized in reports of military clashes that have displaced thousands, as noted in the article Taliban Reports 761 Civilian Deaths as Military Clashes Displace Thousands in Afghanistan.

A Crisis Beyond the Battlefield

The ongoing casualties from explosive materials continue as many of these munitions are located in agricultural land, along transportation routes, and near residential areas. A lack of sufficient funding and advanced deactivation equipment has hampered the clearance process, leaving civilians who must traverse these hazardous areas at serious risk as they seek to make a living or move around.