Afghanistan Peace Campaign
At least 175 people were killed or injured by landmines and unexploded ordnance in Afghanistan between January and May 2026, with children accounting for three-quarters of the casualties, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Thursday, warning of a severe funding shortfall for mine action programs.
In a post on X, OCHA said 75% of those killed or injured during the five-month period were children. The agency appealed for increased international support, saying that $14.5 million is needed to sustain mine clearance operations in Afghanistan this year, but only $3.6 million had been secured by June.
“Urgent support can prevent further casualties,” OCHA said, emphasizing that funding shortages are threatening life-saving demining activities across the country.
During a visit to eastern Afghanistan, Olga Cherevko said Afghanistan ranks as the world’s third most affected country in terms of casualties caused by unexploded ordnance. She said children account for around 80% of those casualties and that an average of 50 people are killed or injured every month by landmines and explosive remnants of war.
Cherevko said mine clearance and explosive ordnance risk education save lives by removing dangerous explosives, raising public awareness, and protecting communities. However, she warned that many programs are being scaled back or suspended because of critical funding shortages, despite the continuing threat.
“Every unexploded munition left in the ground puts another life at risk,” Cherevko said, describing the situation as unacceptable.
Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most heavily contaminated countries with landmines and explosive remnants of decades of conflict. Many hazardous areas are located near villages, farmland, schools, and roads, exposing civilians, particularly children, to daily risks. Humanitarian organizations say children are especially vulnerable because they often mistake unexploded ordnance for toys or scrap metal.
Figures released by Afghanistan’s National Disaster Preparedness Authority, operating under the Taliban administration, also underscore the scale of the problem. The agency recorded 225 mine- and unexploded ordnance-related incidents between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, resulting in 474 casualties, including 96 deaths and 378 injuries.
According to the authority, 321 of the victims were children and 153 were adults, while 380 victims were male and 94 were female. The eastern province of Kunar recorded the highest number of incidents, followed by Farah, with Nangarhar, Herat, and Kandahar also among the provinces most affected.
Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that without additional donor funding, mine clearance operations and community risk education programs could be significantly reduced, increasing the danger to civilians and slowing efforts to make contaminated land safe for agriculture, housing, and public use.