1.5 million people disabled by explosive devices in Afghanistan

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) announced on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities that approximately 1.5 million people in Afghanistan live with severe disabilities.

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities has been celebrated annually on December 3 since 1992, when it was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), noting that 1.5 million people in Afghanistan are disabled, wrote on X social media: “Unexploded ordnance remains are the main cause of disability in Afghanistan, and children are the most affected.”

UNAMA noted that due to decades of war in Afghanistan, a significant part of the country’s territory is contaminated with mines and explosives.

According to UNAMA, three million people in Afghanistan live within one kilometer of mines and explosives left over from the war. After two decades of occupation under the pretext of fighting terrorism, the US occupation forces withdrew from Afghanistan on August 31, 2021, but the consequences of the US occupation in Afghanistan are still visible.