KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – More than 500 children have been killed or severely injured by explosions from unexploded ordnance left over from the war in Afghanistan in 2024, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on January 5, UNICEF said that in the previous year, approximately three million children and caregivers were educated about the dangers posed by explosive remnants of war.
Recently, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Afghanistan reported that 455 people have been killed or injured in incidents related to explosive hazards in 2024. The ICRC also noted that 234 explosive-related incidents have been recorded in Afghanistan this year.
In partnership with the Afghan Red Crescent Society, the Red Cross reported raising awareness among over 240,000 people nationwide last year.
In 2023, at least 800 people were killed by explosive remnants of war in Afghanistan, the majority of whom were children.
Afghanistan, which has suffered decades of conflict and violence—particularly from the Taliban insurgency over the past 20 years—remains one of the world’s most heavily contaminated regions, with landmines and unexploded ordnance still scattered across the country.
Children have been especially vulnerable to fatal or life-altering injuries, often stepping on landmines or picking up unexploded ordnance in the areas where they live and play.
The UN has called for $18.3 million to fund surveys, explosive ordnance disposal, and landmine clearance efforts.
However, many foreign donors, including several mine clearance organizations, have ceased operations or withdrawn funding since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
Since 1989, nearly 57,000 civilians have either lost their lives or sustained injuries due to landmines and explosive remnants of war in Afghanistan.
