KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local sources in western Herat province report that unexploded ordnance has killed two teenage boys in the Guzara district of the province.
Speaking with KabulNow today, the sources said that the incident happened on Tuesday, August 20, when the boys, who were cousins and around 17 years old, encountered unexploded ordnance, resulting in their deaths.
The Taliban local authorities have yet to provide any comment on the incident.
After enduring decades of conflict and violence, especially the Taliban insurgency over the past twenty years, Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most heavily contaminated areas with remnants of war, including 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.
Meanwhile, the UN and mine clearance organizations previously reported that Afghanistan’s mine action sector has faced a significant funding shortfall in recent years.
According to the UN, the most affected initiatives include mine clearance, risk education, and survivors’ assistance. Some projects have ceased entirely, while others have secured funding only until August 2024
