Richard Bennett, the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, stated ahead of the International Day for Mine Awareness that unexploded ordnance caused 471 civilian casualties in Afghanistan last year.
On Thursday, April 2, in a report on casualties from unexploded mines in Afghanistan, Bennett expressed particular concern over child victims.
He called on the international community to invest in demining operations and the protection of Afghanistan citizens’ lives.
He added that 67 percent of casualties from explosions involve children.
Bennett emphasized that 24 percent of mine-related casualties occur when children are playing with them.
The report stressed that contaminated land in Afghanistan constitutes a continued violation of the most fundamental human rights, including the right to life, the right to health, and the right to a safe environment.
According to the report, Mine Action teams cleared large areas of land of mines in 2025, but this progress remains fragile.
Bennett added, “I urge the international community to increase and sustain funding for demining programs in Afghanistan. We have a collective responsibility to ensure that no child mistakes a mine for a toy again.”
It is noteworthy that leftover weaponry from Afghanistan’s prolonged wars continues to claim the lives of civilians, especially children.
You can read the Persian version of this news here:
بنت تلفات ناشی از مهمات منفجرنشده در سال گذشته در افغانستان را ۴۷۱ مورد اعلام کرد
