KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – At least 175 people were killed or injured by unexploded ordnance in Afghanistan between January and May 2026, with children accounting for 75% of the casualties, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
In a statement, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said explosive remnants of war continue to pose a major threat across the country, where decades of conflict have left large areas contaminated with landmines and unexploded devices.
OCHA said funding for mine-clearance and risk-awareness programs has dropped sharply this year. Of the $14.5 million requested for mine-action activities, only $3.6 million had been received by June, OCHA said.
“Urgent support can prevent more casualties,” the agency said.
Speaking during a visit to eastern Afghanistan, Olga Cherevko, OCHA’s head of communications in Afghanistan, said Afghanistan has the third-highest number of casualties from unexploded ordnance globally, with children making up around 80% of the victims.
An average of about 50 people are killed or injured each month by landmines and other explosive remnants, Cherevko said.
“Mine clearance and explosive ordnance risk education save lives by clearing land, educating communities, and protecting them,” Cherevko said. “But this work is severely underfunded, and programmes are being scaled back while the danger remains.”
Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most heavily contaminated countries with explosive remnants of war after decades of conflict, including the Taliban insurgency over the past two decades.
According to U.N. data, around 3.3 million people in Afghanistan live within one kilometer of areas contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance, exposing communities to daily risks.
Children are among the most vulnerable victims, often mistaking unexploded devices for toys or encountering them while collecting firewood, grazing animals, or playing outdoors.
Save the Children said in a recent assessment that nearly one Afghan child is killed or injured by explosive ordnance every day on average. The group documented 338 child casualties between January 2025 and January 2026, representing nearly 70% of all victims during that period.
Demining and risk-awareness programs have slowed in recent years as international aid to Afghanistan has declined, forcing humanitarian agencies to reduce or suspend some operations.
Aid groups and U.N. officials continue to urge donors to increase funding for mine clearance and community education programs, warning that without sustained support, unexploded ordnance will keep claiming civilian lives.
