UN warns of landmine threat in Afghanistan, children most at risk

Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most heavily mine-affected countries after decades of conflict, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

In a statement released Sunday, UNAMA highlighted the disproportionate impact of landmines and unexploded ordnance on children, who make up the majority of victims.

The mission called for urgent action to address the ongoing threat, which it said claims lives daily.

Earlier, the HaloTrust mine clearance agency said more than 65 square kilometers of Afghanistan’s territory was contaminated with improvised explosive devices, making it among the four most severely mined countries.

It is worth mentioning that Afghanistan has been one of the countries with the highest rate of landmines and explosives left over from the war for many years, and many people, especially children, have been killed in different parts of the country.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), landmines and war remnants are the second leading cause of civilian casualties in Afghanistan.

According to the UN, from January to June 2024, landmines and unexploded ordnance explosions across Afghanistan killed and wounded 292 civilians, 88 percent of them children.