The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Explosive ordnance remains a daily threat in Afghanistan, with children accounting for 78% of reported casualties from January through August 2026, the United Nations humanitarian office said.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs, or OCHA, said on X that only $4.3 million of the $14.5 million
required for explosive ordnance response under Afghanistan’s 2026 Humanitarian
Plan has been funded, leaving a $10.2 million shortfall.
“In Afghanistan, there are areas of land that at first
glance seem harmless and ordinary. But beneath the surface, there may be
objects that could kill and maim,” said Olga Cherevko, an OCHA spokesperson in
Afghanistan.
The figures highlight the continuing danger posed by
landmines and unexploded ordnance in Afghanistan, where decades of conflict
have left explosive remnants across communities and areas used by civilians.
OCHA called for increased funding to support efforts to
identify and clear contaminated areas and reduce the risk to civilians,
particularly children.
