MONITORING (SW) – The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has underlined the need for greater efforts to clear remnants of war and improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan that continue to claim lives here.
In a series of posts on its official X account, the UNMAS citing Nicholas Pond, the Chief of Mine Action Section, said: “There is now a great opportunity for the Afghan people to consolidate peace through the safe restoration of their livelihoods, unhindered by the remnants of war.”
He further mentioned this would allow the country to be a safe place where people can return to their homes, schools, to their fields and orchards without the fear of death and injury from what is lying around from years of fighting.
Since 1989, about 45,000 Afghan civilians have been recorded to have been killed or injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) averaging to around 110 people per month. Improvised mines (IM) and ERW from armed clashes caused nearly 99 percent of the casualties recorded in 2023. In the same year, more than 89% percent of the ERW casualties were children, according to UNMAS.
Humanitarian mine action partners in Afghanistan have cleared more than 14 million items of ERW, some 759,310 anti-personnel (AP) mines, some 33,772 anti-vehicle (AV) mines, and some 9,451 Abandoned Improvised Mines since 1989. A total of 34,918 hazardous areas have been cleared or otherwise canceled since 1989. This represents over 3,800 square kilometers of land released for productive use to 3,300 gazetteer communities, UNMAS said.
The organization added that some 5,035 identified hazards remain, representing nearly 1,247 km2 of land, threatening about 1,704 communities, impeding safe movement of civilians and humanitarians, reducing safe access to socio-economic opportunities and impeding development.
Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) has reached 10.2 million beneficiaries (1.57 million women, 1.83 million men, 2.7 million girls and 4.12 million boys) since the start of the program.
Landmine crisis: Afghanistan’s grim toll continues unabated
In a latest statistics shared by the Islamic Emirate, from the beginning to end of 2023, a toll has been exacted upon Afghanistan’s populace, which 663 individuals have perished or been wounded due to explosions triggered by unexploded ordnances and remnants of war.
These devastating incidents have unfolded across 369 separate events across the country, leaving families shattered and communities reeling.
Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) stated that in 2023, 308 explosive remnants incidents resulted in 555 casualties during the year 2023 alone and 108 dead within the first three months of 2024, “with 311 men wounded and 137 men lost their lives, alongside 70 women wounded and 37 women were killed as a result of 308 incidents in 2023.”
As a total of 5,029 kilometers contaminated by these deadly remnants, 3,826 kilometers have been successfully cleared in Afghanistan, however, the formidable challenge persists, with 1,230 kilometers of land still plagued by the lingering specter of mines.
The latest figures presented by the United Nations reveal that each month, at least 60 lives are claimed by the detonation of leftover landmines from past conflicts in Afghanistan.
Adding to the gravity of the situation, the International Committee of the Red Cross has reported a toll of 673 lives lost to landmine explosions in Afghanistan in 2023 alone. Alarmingly, children comprise 60% of these casualties.
Despite their critical role in safeguarding lives and communities, Mine Action initiatives in Afghanistan find themselves in dire straits due to severe underfunding. Multiple donors have scaled back or withdrawn their contributions, leaving the sector teetering on the brink of collapse, UNMAS said.
With three decades of invaluable experience, six national implementing partners have been at the forefront of mine action efforts in Afghanistan. However, the impending closure of these organizations in 2024 looms large, as they were mostly dependent on the UNMAS and UNOPS supported mine action interventions.
There has been an 80% decline in the size of the The Mine Action Programme of Afghanistan (MAPA) workforce since 2011 when the program received its highest funding and employed more than 14,900 people. Currently, only 3,047 people are employed under MAPA. Despite mine action services having more access than any time in recent history, the sector has suffered a 40% reduction in the number of operational teams in recent years, according to UNMAS.
The potential shuttering of these organizations poses a grave threat to the progress made in clearing landmines and unexploded ordnances, jeopardizing the safety and well-being of Afghan communities. Urgent action is needed to bridge the funding gap and ensure the continuity of vital mine action interventions.
