KABUL — Explosive ordnance continues to be the primary cause of child casualties in Afghanistan, according to a new report by Children and Armed Conflict, a monitoring organization focused on protecting children in war zones.
The report highlights that ongoing violence and the presence of explosive devices near schools have severely limited children’s access to education and basic services, restricted freedom of movement, and put their safety at risk.
The watchdog cited multiple armed groups—including Hizb-i Islami of Gulbuddin, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan (ISIL-KP), and the Taliban, including the Haqqani network—for committing grave violations against children. These groups are all listed in the annexes of the U.N. Secretary-General’s latest annual report on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC).
According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), 47 child casualties (eight girls and 39 boys) were recorded between October and December 2024 due to explosive remnants of war.
Children and Armed Conflict has urged the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) to demand that all parties in Afghanistan comply with international humanitarian and human rights laws.
The group also called on the U.N. to press the Taliban to uphold Afghanistan’s national and international commitments to child protection, including recognizing any individual under 18 as a child, implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and complying with the Safe Schools Declaration, which seeks to protect educational institutions from military use.
The report further called on the Security Council to reiterate its demand that the Taliban reverse restrictions on women’s and girls’ rights, in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2681 (2023).
It also asked the UNSC to ensure humanitarian organizations, including those employing female aid workers, have safe, unhindered access to provide assistance.
The report said the organization should allocate sufficient resources to strengthen child protection efforts, including monitoring violations and addressing threats posed by explosive ordnance.