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Sixty 60 people killed or maimed by landmines in Afghanistan every month: OCHA
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that Afghanistan is one of the most contaminated countries with mines and explosive materials in the world, and every month more than 60 people, mostly children, are killed or maimed in the country.
According to OCHA, three million people live within a kilometer radius of mines, improvised bombs and remnants of explosives left over from the war.
OCHA added that the contamination of Afghanistan’s lands with landmines is a legacy before 2001 and after and that the provinces of Uruzgan, Kunduz, Helmand, Kandahar, Kunar, Badghis, Faryab, Nangarhar, Ghazni, Farah, Maidan Wardak and Samangan are the most affected.
According to OCHA, even a large number of infrastructures, including schools, are contaminated with explosives, while families dependent on agriculture-based livelihoods, including farmers and herdsmen are most at risk from explosives.
Also, returning populations are vulnerable, because they do not know the areas they are returning to, OCHA said.
As the poverty level in Afghanistan deepens, more children and adults are driven to scavenge spent artillery shells and mortars to collect metal for a living, with tragic consequences, the OCHA report said.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says it does not have the resources to prevent mine hazards and the fight against mine hazards is currently severely underfunded.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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