KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – An estimated 1.5 million people in Afghanistan are living with serious disabilities, most of them caused by decades of conflicts, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Wednesday.
UNAMA, marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, said children bear a disproportionately heavy burden of these disabilities.
The mission called for an inclusive and equitable environment for Afghans with disabilities. “On this Disability Day, we honour them and call for an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable Afghanistan for all,” it said.
The day, established by the UN in 1981, aims to raise awareness of disability issues and promote the rights and dignity of people with disabilities. This year’s theme is “fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress.”
Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most mine-contaminated countries. Unexploded ordnance and landmines left from more than four decades of war continue to cause deaths and severe injuries. The UN has previously reported that around two-thirds of the country is affected by explosives, with some three million people living within one kilometre of mines, improvised explosive devices, and other remnants of conflict.
Each year, hundreds of Afghans, particularly children, die or suffer life-changing injuries from landmines and unexploded ordnance. Children are often victims because they often encounter unexploded ordnance while playing or collecting scrap materials in contaminated areas.
In November alone, at least eight children were reported killed and two others injured by unexploded mortar shells and landmines leftover from past conflicts in Badghis and Balkh provinces.
Despite the ongoing danger, demining operations have been scaled back due to funding shortfalls. Many UN agencies and aid organizations have reduced or closed programs aimed at clearing mines and educating communities about their risks.
