UNAMA: Afghanistan Has Suffered the Most from Mines and Explosive Materials
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) stated on the occasion of “International Mine Awareness Day and Assistance to Mine Action” that Afghanistan has experienced “the most damage among countries worldwide” due to explosive remnants of decades of war.
Today (Friday, April 4), UNAMA released a video highlighting that “during decades of war, tens of thousands of civilians in Afghanistan have been killed or disabled by the explosion of mines and unexploded ordnance.”
The organization emphasized that “mine clearance is a difficult, dangerous, and costly task, but it not only saves lives, but also represents a vital investment for a secure and sustainable future in Afghanistan.”
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), currently, 3.3 million people in Afghanistan live within one kilometer of mine-contaminated areas and unexploded ordnance.
OCHA stated that for mine action projects in Afghanistan in 2025, a budget of 21.9 million dollars is required.
This comes at a time when, following the suspension of U.S. foreign aid, organizations involved in mine clearance projects have halted their activities due to a lack of funding.
