The international demining organization Halo Trust warned Tuesday that Afghanistan’s landmine crisis is becoming a “forgotten humanitarian emergency,” even as millions remain at risk from unexploded ordnance left behind by decades of war.
The group said that one in five Afghans is expected to benefit from cleared land, but that approximately 6.4 million people still live under the threat of landmines and other explosive remnants of war.
Accoring to the Halo Trust, every month, around 50 Afghans are killed or injured by explosive devices, and over 80 percent of them are children, “often sent by desperate families to scavenge scrap metal in a bid to ease their economic hardship.”
“Support for demining efforts must not fade,” said Farid Homayoun, Halo Trust’s country director in Afghanistan. “Afghanistan needs sustained international backing to reduce further civilian casualties.”
The report highlighted the disproportionate impact on children, who account for more than 80 percent of the casualties from monthly mine explosions. Many of the victims, according to the group, are sent by impoverished families to collect scrap metal in contaminated areas.
Since beginning operations in Afghanistan in 1988, Halo Trust reports it has cleared more than 1,400 square kilometers of land and returned it to local communities. Its combined efforts—ranging from clearance operations to mine risk education—have reached more than 17 million Afghans to date.
The organization called on donor nations to maintain funding and engagement, warning that without continued support, civilian casualties—particularly among children—will persist in what it described as a “silent crisis.”
