UN Appeals for $14.5M for Mine Clearance in Afghanistan

DID Press: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Afghanistan has announced that $14.5 million is required to implement mine-clearance operations and landmine risk education programs across the country.

OCHA warned that millions of people in Afghanistan face threats from landmines and unexploded ordnance, with approximately two-thirds of the country contaminated by these hazards.

The report notes that more than 50 people are killed or injured by mine explosions each month, most of them children.

Previously, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, called for increased global investment in mine-clearance efforts to protect civilians and reduce casualties.