(RepublicanView.org) – Nine children died in Afghanistan when they uncovered a landmine that immediately exploded. The incident happened in a village in the Gero region of the Ghazni province. A Taliban spokesman said the mine was left by Russian forces and killed five boys and four girls aged between five and ten years.
CBS News reported that there are children in Afghanistan who search for scrap metal to help their parents financially, and this is a significant hazard in a country littered with explosive devices after decades of war. In a separate incident in early April, one child died, and five were injured when a mine exploded in the Herat region.
According to UN data, around 57,000 people have been killed or injured by mines since 1989. It was reported that 700 children were killed or seriously injured in such incidents in 2022.
When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, several aid agencies left, and the ICRC says lack of funding and investment in the country means it has become far more dangerous. The international community refuses to recognize the Taliban government, prompting many foreign agencies to depart.
According to the United Nations, 70 countries remain “contaminated” by landmines. The mines cost between $3 and $75 to obtain, but significantly more to clear. Worldwide, mines kill or injure between 1,000 and 2,000 people per month, and since the 1990s, agencies have disabled more than 55 million.
A total of 164 countries have signed the Mine Ban Treaty, also known as the Ottawa Treaty, a legally binding international agreement prohibiting the use, production, stockpiling, and transport of mines. It also obliges signatories to take all possible measures to keep civilians out of affected areas.
More than 600 different kinds of landmines are in use worldwide, categorized into two major types: anti-personnel and anti-tank. The anti-personnel category includes the butterfly mine, which the UN says looks like a toy and is particularly attractive to children.
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