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    Land Mines Continue to Devastate Afghan Lives Amid Funding Shortages

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    Land Mines Continue to Devastate Afghan Lives Amid Funding Shortages

    Since 1989, about 45,300 Afghan civilians have been recorded to have been killed or injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war. The average monthly civilian casualties from explosive devices in Afghanistan currently stand at around 50 individuals.

    Shah Agha is one of more than 100,000 Afghans living with injuries caused by land mines. He lost his leg to a mine during the anti-Soviet war in the 1980s in his native Kunduz Province in northern Afghanistan. In 2015, another unexploded weapon injured him again.

    “My life is miserable,” the Pashtu language Radio Azadi quoted Agha as saying. “I am always in need of help.”

    Noor, who goes by only one name, lost both his legs to a mine blast. The Kabul resident says disabled Afghans struggle to access education, jobs, or even move freely.

    “Both our society and the government do little to give us our rights,” he said.

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    Agha and Noor are among the hundreds of Afghans killed and maimed every year by land mines left behind during more than four decades of war. Despite ongoing demining efforts, mine-clearing agencies now fear an even larger number of Afghans will soon become victims of these hidden killers.

    Demining Efforts Threatened

    Mine-clearing organizations warn that efforts to remove deadly munitions scattered across Afghanistan could soon come to a halt due to calls to end foreign aid to the Taliban-ruled country.

    Ahead of his inauguration, U.S. President Donald Trump and his allies have repeatedly criticised Washington’s financial assistance to Afghanistan. The United States has been the leading donor for humanitarian operations in Afghanistan since the Taliban regained power following the final U.S. military withdrawal in August 2021.

    “Deaths and injuries, especially among children and women, will increase,” Shahabuddin Hakimi, head of the Mine Detection Center (MDC), an Afghan demining NGO, told Radio Azadi.

    Since 1989, over 45,000 Afghans have been killed by land mines, according to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS). Despite the clearance of over 3,000 square kilometers of contaminated land, vast areas remain heavily mined.

    Casualties on the Rise

    Afghanistan is among the most heavily landmine-contaminated countries in the world, with millions of people at risk from landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW).

    Decades of conflict have left Afghanistan with a dangerous legacy of landmines. Improvised mines and ERW from ongoing armed clashes remain the primary causes of civilian casualties. Landmines are the second leading cause of civilian casualties in Afghanistan, with children being the most affected victims. Contaminated areas are often located near schools and water sources, further endangering local communities.

    UNMAS estimates that land mines continue to pose a threat to more than 1,700 communities across Afghanistan, with over 1,200 square kilometers still awaiting clearance. A significant decline in funding has forced the MDC to cut nearly 80 percent of its operations over the past year.

    Hakimi noted that the lack of demining operations has already led to an increase in mine-related casualties to 60 per month, compared to an average of 50 in previous years.

    “These casualties are set to increase this year as refugees return from Iran and Pakistan and internally displaced populations move back to their homes,” Hakimi said.

    An estimated 2 million Afghans have been forced to return from neighboring Pakistan and Iran, which have hosted millions of Afghan refugees since the Soviet invasion in 1979. The end of fighting following the Taliban’s return to power has prompted even more displaced Afghans to return home, increasing their exposure to explosive hazards.

    In 2023, 455 Afghan civilians were killed or injured by 234 land mine blasts, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Children accounted for nearly 80 percent of these victims.

    Underfunded and Overwhelmed

    “Currently, mine action is among the most underfunded sectors in Afghanistan,” said a spokesperson for the HALO Trust, a British charity and one of the leading demining groups in the country. “[Afghanistan] no longer has the resources needed to stem the problem.”

    Funding for mine action has halved over the past two years, leading to a significant reduction in the workforce. Today, only 3,000 of the 15,000 Afghan de-miners employed before the Taliban takeover are still working, with more than 40 percent losing their jobs.

    “The country is facing a paradox of reduced donor support, increasing humanitarian need, and rising poverty,” the HALO Trust spokesperson added.

    A Worsening Humanitarian Crisis

    Humanitarian mine action partners in Afghanistan have cleared more than 14 million items of ERW, some 759,752 anti-personnel mines, some 35,052 anti-vehicle mines, and some 12,938 Abandoned Improvised Mines since 1989. A total of 35,642 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.

    Since 1989, about 45,300 Afghan civilians have been recorded to have been killed or injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war. The average monthly civilian casualties from explosive devices in Afghanistan currently stand at around 50 individuals. ERW from armed clashes caused nearly 86 percent of the casualties recorded during January 2023 to August 2024. In the same period, more than 89 per cent of the ERW casualties were children. 

    Following the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan lost all development assistance, which previously funded most of the government’s expenses. The country now risks losing even more humanitarian aid.

    On January 7, Trump accused President Joe Biden of sending “billions of dollars to essentially the Taliban in Afghanistan.” Additionally, Republican Congressman Tim Burchett urged Biden to stop cash aid to Afghanistan, alleging that some of the funds were reaching the Taliban.

    As international attention shifts and funding diminishes, Afghans like Shah Agha and Noor remain trapped in a cycle of suffering, with little hope for a safer future. Without immediate intervention and sustained financial support, the toll of land mines in Afghanistan is set to rise, leaving thousands more injured or dead.

    Image: International Committee of the Red Cross

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