KABUL: Officials of the National Disaster Management Authority said today that currently, 1,150 kilometers of land in Afghanistan are contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance.
Qari Nooruddin Rustamkhail, head of Mine Clearance Coordination at the National Disaster Management Authority, made the remarks today during a ceremony held to mark the International Day for Mine Awareness in Kabul.
“103 kilometers of land contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance have been cleared in Afghanistan during the past solar year (1403),” the Radio Omid correspondent quoted him as saying.
He emphasized that there are currently 175 mine clearance teams working within 21 projects across 104 districts and 27 provinces to clear contaminated areas.
Mullah Nooruddin Tarabi, head of the National Disaster Management Authority, noted that land contamination with mines and unexploded ordnance poses a serious threat to the population, particularly to nomadic communities.
He stated that his-led department is fully prepared to collaborate with organizations and institutions involved in mine clearance to help eliminate these hazards.
This observance of the International Day for Mine Awareness comes in the wake of a report from the International Committee of the Red Cross, which indicated that 564 people lost their lives due to mine explosions and unexploded ordnance in 2024.
International Day for Mine Awareness: 1,150 kilometers of land contaminated with mines in Afghanistan
