Richard Bennett Urges More Funding for Mine Clearance in Afghanistan

UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan Richard Bennett has called on the international community to increase funding for mine clearance and unexploded ordnance removal, warning that Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most heavily contaminated countries. His appeal came due to April 4, the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.

Bennett said official figures show that 471 civilians were killed last year in explosions caused by mines and unexploded ordnance, and that 67 percent of the victims were children. He stressed that children continue to bear the heaviest burden, with many incidents occurring while they are playing or collecting scrap metal.

He said the widespread contamination of Afghanistan land is not only a humanitarian crisis but also a continuing violation of basic human rights, including the rights to life, health and a safe environment for children to grow and thrive. Bennett added that mine action is essential to ensuring that children can go to school safely, farmers can return to their land and displaced families can go home without fear.

A statement from the UN Human Rights Office said progress in Afghanistan’s demining efforts remains fragile and has been undermined by funding cuts in recent years. The warning reflects wider concern that reduced support for clearance work could reverse hard-won gains and leave communities exposed to deadly remnants of decades of war.

Afghanistan has lived with landmines, improvised explosive devices and explosive remnants of war for decades, making large areas of farmland, roads and villages dangerous for ordinary civilians. These hidden threats continue to block recovery, delay resettlement and place children at constant risk even long after active fighting ends. Afghanistan

The United Nations says mine action is not only about removing explosives, but also about restoring safe access to schools, hospitals, homes and livelihoods. Around the world, the UN estimates that more than 100 million people remain at risk from landmines and explosive remnants of war. United Nations

Bennett’s appeal highlights how the legacy of war continues to endanger Afghan civilians, especially children, long after the battlefield has shifted. Without sustained international funding, Afghanistan’s mine crisis is likely to remain a deadly obstacle to safety, recovery and basic human dignity.

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