KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Afghanistan remains one of the countries most affected by explosive remnants of war, with landmines and unexploded ordnance posing a deadly threat to civilians, especially children, the UN has warned.
In a message marking the International Day for Mine Awareness on April 4, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said tens of thousands of Afghans have been killed or injured by landmines and unexploded ordnance over the past decades.
“Mine clearance work is painstaking, dangerous, and costly,” the mission said in a video. “Education to prevent accidents, and rehabilitation for those left with disabilities is also essential.”
UNAMA urged the international community to step up support for demining efforts and awareness campaigns, adding that greater backing is “desperately needed” and represents an investment in a safer and more prosperous future for Afghanistan.
Afghanistan has long been considered one of the countries most contaminated with landmines and explosive remnants of war—an enduring legacy of decades of conflict, including the Soviet occupation, civil war, and recent years of Taliban insurgency.
The UN says that two-thirds of Afghanistan’s over 400 districts are affected by explosive hazards. An estimated 3.3 million people live within one kilometer of mines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), or other explosive remnants of war.
The scale of the threat to children is especially severe. Of the 564 casualties documented by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Afghanistan in 2024, 434 were children.
The UN General Assembly designated April 4 as the International Day for Mine Awareness in 2005, a day to reflect on both the progress made and the challenges that remain in mine-affected countries.
This year’s theme, “Safe Future Starts Here,” highlights the ongoing danger posed by landmines and IEDs, which kill or injure one person every hour worldwide, most of them children.
For 2025, the UN has appealed for $21.9 million to fund mine surveys, explosive ordnance disposal, clearance operations, and risk education programs across Afghanistan. However, securing this funding remains largely uncertain due to recent significant changes in global foreign policy, including cuts in humanitarian funding.
