KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Afghanistan has the third-highest rate of casualties from landmines and explosive remnants of war globally, and contamination remains widespread across much of the country, the UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Tuesday.
In a statement posted on social media, UNAMA said children make up about 80% of those killed or injured by explosive ordnance, often after encountering unexploded munitions while playing.
UNAMA called for sustained financial support for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) engaged in mine clearance and community risk-education programs, warning that budget shortfalls threaten both operations and awareness efforts.
“These organizations work daily to remove landmines and other deadly remnants of war and to educate communities about existing dangers,” UNAMA said. “Together, awareness and action can help save lives.”
Decades of conflict have left Afghanistan heavily contaminated with explosive hazards, a legacy of the Soviet occupation in the 1980s, the civil war in the 1990s, and the recent Taliban insurgency against the US-backed government and international forces.
The UN estimates that around two-thirds of Afghanistan’s districts are affected by explosive hazards, putting more than six million people at risk. According to the HALO Trust, an international demining organization, unexploded ordnance kills or injures at least 50 people every month across the country.
Children are particularly at risk because they often encounter unexploded munitions while playing outdoors or collecting scrap metal. Data from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) show that of 564 explosive ordnance casualties recorded in Afghanistan in 2024, 434 were children.
Meanwhile, demining efforts have slowed in recent years as international funding for humanitarian programs has declined. Several UN agencies and aid groups have reduced or closed mine action and risk-education projects due to budget constraints.
UN agencies and demining organizations continue to urge international donors to maintain and increase funding to sustain clearance operations and expand public awareness campaigns aimed at preventing further civilian casualties.
