KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Two children were killed and another was injured when unexploded ordnance left over from past wars detonated in Ghazni province, southeastern Afghanistan, on October 30, according to local Taliban authorities.
The Taliban police command in Ghazni reported that the incident occurred in Nawur district on Wednesday afternoon when a group of children discovered a toy-like object and began playing with it. It detonated, killing two children on the spot and injuring another.
A similar incident occurred last week in the Qara Bagh district of Ghazni province, resulting in the deaths of three children and injuries to three others.
These are the latest incidents in Afghanistan, a country that has endured decades of conflict and violence, particularly due to the Taliban insurgency. This has made Afghanistan one of the most heavily contaminated areas in the world, with remnants of war, such as landmines and unexploded ordnance.
According to the UN, about two-thirds of Afghanistan’s more than 400 districts are impacted by explosives. Additionally, approximately 3 million people live within a 1 km radius of mines, improvised explosive devices, and other remnants of war.
Dozens of people, mostly children, are killed or maimed each month due to explosions from explosive devices left over from four decades of war and political unrest in the country.
Last year, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that at least 640 children were killed or injured in 541 incidents involving explosive remnants of war and landmine explosions in Afghanistan from January 2022 to June 2023.
“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, play or do household chores,” ICRC said.
Meanwhile, agencies working on mine clearance and educating local communities about its dangers in Afghanistan have been facing significant funding shortfalls in recent years, resulting in the suspension of many such agencies in the country.
