Taliban: Most Mine Explosion Victims in Afghanistan Are Children

Photo: NOORULLAH SHIRZADA/AFP

The Taliban’s Disaster Management Authority has said that in the past year, 87 people across the country were killed by mine and explosive ordnance blasts, with children accounting for 67.5 per cent of the victims.

Mohammad Yousuf Hemad, the authority’s spokesperson, said in a video message on Wednesday (February 4) that these figures were recorded from 193 incidents involving mine and explosive ordnance explosions nationwide.

According to him, a further 333 people were injured in these incidents.

Hamad added that over the past year, 58 kilometres of land had been cleared of mines and explosive ordnance, and 24,720 mines and explosive devices had been discovered and neutralised. He said that 155 demining teams are active in Afghanistan, and more than 2,106,000 people have been educated about the dangers of mines and explosive ordnance.

It is worth noting that after decades of war, Afghanistan continues to face widespread contamination from mines and explosive remnants of war. According to United Nations figures, around 3.3 million people in the country live within one kilometre of mine-contaminated areas, a situation that directly threatens the lives of children.