Landmines Casualties Tripled since 2012: UNAMA
The UN Mine Action Service, shows that 1,415 Afghan civilians were killed or injured by mines and so-called explosive remnants of war (ERW) in 2018.
The UN Mine Action Service, shows that 1,415 Afghan civilians were killed or injured by mines and so-called explosive remnants of war (ERW) in 2018.
The U.N. estimates landmines and explosive remnants of war have killed and maimed some 30,000 civilians, with young children accounting for the largest number of victims. While casualties had been steadily dropping, the U.N. says there has been an increase in recent years.
According to UNAMAS report, children make up eight in 10 of ERW casualties.
“We are still in the prevention business and we aren’t doing all that well,” said Patrick Fruchet, UNMAS Programme Manager. “In 2012, we were down to about 36 casualties per month in Afghanistan – which is still enormous; those numbers jumped, those numbers jumped year on year. And in 2017, there were more than 150 casualties a month.”
The United Nations has been involved in clearing landmines in Afghanistan for 29 years. Over that period, the U.N. and its partners have cleared some 730,000 anti-personnel and anti-tank mines at a cost of $1.5 billion.
