Afghanistan Peace CampaignAccording to UNICEF, Afghanistan is one of the most weapons-contaminated countries in the world.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Afghanistan said that 85% of the victims of explosions and unexploded mines in Afghanistan are children.
According to UNICEF, Afghanistan is one of the most weapons-contaminated countries in the world.
“Afghanistan is one of the most weapons-contaminated countries in the world, and children represent about 85% of casualties. With EU in Afghanistan, UNICEF teaches children to recognize and avoid unexploded ordnance, using practice settings like this at a child-friendly space,” UNICEF said on X social media platform.
Unexploded mines continue to claim lives in Afghanistan since the country has witnessed several wars throughout the years.
Two children from an Afghan family, Amanullah and Fatema, lost some of their body parts in a mine explosion.
“We climbed a mountain to bring weeds, and we found the bomb and brought it down to sell it, the seller said I don’t want to buy it. As soon as we were entering the house it exploded,” Amanullah told TOLOnews reporter.
“We referred to them so that they clean up the area from mines, but they told us that currently there is a lot of mines in the land, and we cannot reach the mines in the mountains. Because of that we have prevented the kids from going to the mountain,” said Akhtar Mohammad, a relative of mine victim’s family.
Meanwhile, the Afghan Directorate for Mine Action Coordination (DMAC), said that only 65 percent of victims of explosions and unexploded ordnance are children.
“UNICEF, which shared the report with the media and has indicated the children who are victims of the mines 85 percent, we reject that report. Based on our information, children’s victims are 65 percent,” Noorddin Rustam Khil, head of DMAC said.
Earlier, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (OCHA), said that last year more than 700 children in Afghanistan were killed or injured as a result of the explosion of land mines, explosives and improvised explosive devices.