UNMAS warns of escalating threat of unexploded ordnance, landmines

GENEVA, Dec 3 (KUNA) -- Officials working in UN mine action programmes warned Wednesday of danger posed by explosive remnants of war and unexploded ordnance to lives of millions of civilians especially children in Afghanistan, Sudan and Occupied Palestinian Territory amid ongoing conflicts and limited resources allocated to mine action.
During a press conference held by UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) on sidelines of Mine Ban Treaty meeting in Geneva, the Chief of the Mine Action Section at UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan Nick Pond said Afghanistan recorded the third-highest number of explosive ordnance casualties in the world in 2024 with more than 54 victims per month 80 percent of whom are children.
He explained that 90 percent of these casualties result from explosive remnants of war rather than traditional landmines.
He also warned of a dangerous decline in the number of demining teams in Afghanistan with only 168 teams currently operating.
For his part, the Head of the UN Mine Action Programme in Sudan Sediq Rashid warned that the conflict raging in Sudan since April 2023 has increased the risks of contamination by landmines and unexploded ordnance in a daily basis.
He stressed that Sudan is facing is the most dangerous period due to the spread of fighting into densely populated urban areas especially the capital Khartoum.
Rashid expressed grave concern over the return of more than 1.5 million people to Khartoum this year as they may be entering areas contaminated with explosive hazards raising the prospect of a rise in casualties particularly among children.
He noted that the mine action sector has been severely affected by the conflict with equipment destroyed and clearance operations suspended for a long period.
Meanwhile, the Head of the UN Mine Action Programme in the Occupied Palestinian Territory Julius Van Der Walt warned that two years of war in the Gaza Strip using explosive weapons have resulted in widespread contamination with unexploded ordnance.
He also cautioned against the growing risk of unexploded ordnance contamination in the West Bank.
He explained that explosive remnants in Gaza are threating two million people, obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid and slowing early recovery and reconstruction efforts.
Since October 2023, the UN programme has accompanied more than 800 humanitarian convoys and conducted over 650 explosive hazard assessments in hospitals schools roads and shelters in addition to delivering explosive risk education to more than 450.000 people. (end) imk.hm