KABUL: At least 175 people were killed or injured by unexploded ordnance in Afghanistan between January and May 2026, with children accounting for 75 per cent of the casualties, the United Nations has said.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said explosive remnants of war continue to pose a major threat across the country, where decades of conflict have left large areas contaminated with landmines and unexploded devices.
OCHA said funding for mine-clearance and risk-awareness programmes has dropped sharply this year. Of the $14.5 million requested, only $3.6 million had been received by June.
“Urgent support can prevent more casualties,” the agency said.
Afghanistan has the third-highest number of casualties from unexploded ordnance globally, with children making up around 80 per cent of victims, said Olga Cherevko, OCHA’s head of communications in Afghanistan.
“Mine clearance and explosive ordnance risk education save lives by clearing land, educating communities, and protecting them,” Cherevko said. “But this work is severely underfunded.”
Around 3.3 million people in Afghanistan live within one kilometre of areas contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance, according to UN data.
Save the Children said in a recent assessment that nearly one Afghan child is killed or injured by explosive ordnance every day on average.
