UN: Unexploded Ordnance Causes One Casualty Every Day in Afghanistan

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says that Afghanistan still ranks as the third country with the highest number of casualties caused by unexploded ordnance, with more than 50 people killed or injured each month.

Nick Pound, head of the Mine Action Service at UNAMA, told reporters that these figures mean that every day in Afghanistan, one person is either killed or injured due to unexploded ordnance, 80 percent of whom are children, especially boys.

According to him, “Ninety percent of these casualties are caused by unexploded ordnance left behind from the past forty years of war. Most of the victims are boys who find these objects and play with them, or discover them while herding livestock.”

The UNAMA official added that around 1,000 square kilometers of land in Afghanistan is still contaminated with unexploded ordnance.

He said that about three million people, 800 educational centers, and 200 health facilities are located within one kilometer of land contaminated with unexploded ordnance.

Pound also pointed to a reduction in funding for mine clearance, saying: “Humanitarian aid to Afghanistan has decreased, the government has not been recognized, and the number of deminers, which reached 15,000 in 2011, has now dropped to only 1,300.”

The return of refugees, earthquakes, and clashes with Pakistan have been cited as major challenges facing Afghans, but he noted that there are still opportunities and significant national and international expertise in mine clearance in Afghanistan.

The UNAMA official added that if international support for the mine action sector increases, Afghanistan can be cleared of mines and people can return to normal life.