KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local sources in northern Faryab province report that unexploded ordnance has killed at least four children in the Pashtun Kot district of the province.
Local sources informed KabulNow that the incident occurred on Sunday morning, June 16th, when the children discovered unexploded ordnance and began playing with it. Tragically, this resulted in the deaths of three boys and one girl, all aged between 6 and 12.
The Taliban local authorities have yet to provide any comment on the incident.
After enduring decades of conflict and violence, particularly the Taliban insurgency over the past two decades, Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most contaminated places with remnants of war, mostly landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Last year, the UN reported that roughly two-thirds of Afghanistan’s 401 districts are affected by explosives. Additionally, approximately 3 million people live within a 1km radius of mines, improvised explosive devices, and other remnants of war.
Children have been particularly vulnerable to fatal or life-changing injuries as they unintentionally step on landmines or pick up unexploded ordnance littered around the places they stay or play.
A report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reveals that between January 2022 and February 2024, at least 1,401 people, predominantly children, were killed or injured by explosive remnants of war in Afghanistan.
“Almost 4 million people are exposed to the constant risk of being harmed, with an estimated 1.2 million m2 of land contaminated by mines, improvised explosive devices and ERW,” the UN agency said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized on the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action that landmines, explosive ordnance, and remnants of war directly threaten millions of people caught up in armed conflicts, from Afghanistan to Sudan, Ukraine to Gaza.
“Country by country, community by community, let’s rid the world of these weapons—once and for all,” the UN chief said.
Meanwhile, the UN says that Afghanistan’s mine action sector faces a significant funding shortfall. “Of the 4.4 million people who need mine action services in 2023, only 14 per cent received assistance.”
According to the UN, the initiatives most affected include mine clearance, risk education, and survivors’ assistance. Certain projects have ceased entirely, while others have only secured funding until August 2024.
