How isolating the Afghan Taliban could mean more young landmine victims

Read Time:3 Minute, 3 Second

Afghanistan, July 7 (Reuters) – A group of Afghan children are grazing sheep in a field near Bolak Wandi’s village in the eastern helmand when they see metal objects half buried on the ground. Walking around with enthusiasm, they argue about who found it first and who could sell it to memo.

Three more children died of their injuries when they were taken to the hospital by the Taliban fighters near him. Others died at the time of arrival.

I don’t blame anyone, “said Haji Abdul Salam, the father of two children. He tried to focus on comforting his wife, who was crying for his missing children.

This mortar can be abandoned from America or the Soviet Union. However, not only our area, but all Afghanistan must be freed from this problem.”

The return of the Taliban to power last summer, ending their 20-year rebellion, should help mining efforts, with regional plots that are forbidden during the battle that can finally be accessed.

I don’t blame anyone, “said Haji Abdul Salam, the father of two children. He tried to focus on comforting his wife, who was crying for his missing children.

This mortar can be abandoned from America or the Soviet Union. However, not only our area, but all Afghanistan must be freed from this problem.”

The return of the Taliban to power last summer, ending their 20-year rebellion, should help mining efforts, with regional plots that are forbidden during the battle that can finally be accessed.

All sanctions have greatly influenced us, “said Sayed Denmark, Deputy Head of the Agency, Directorate of Coordination of Mining Action (DMAC).” We cannot do strategic work, which is our main responsibility. “

Costs for Afghan people who areolated the Taliban, who said they were treated unfairly, were also highlighted after the earthquake last month made thousands of homeless people and health systems under great pressure, triggered several calls for new approaches to groups. Read more

The loss of mining funds can have in -depth consequences for a country consisting of 40 million people which is one of the most mined places on earth after four decades of war.

Nearly 80% of civilian casualties from “wardered warflt” are children, US mining agencies estimate, partly because of their curiosity and their routine role in collecting used metals to be sold to increase family income.

Within seven months to March, around 300 Afghan children were killed or disabled by land mines and other unfelled devices, according to the US children’s bodies.

The five children from Bolak Wandi, four boys and a woman aged between five and 12 years, died in April.

Foreign governments have released humanitarian assistance from their freezing, and hundreds of millions of dollars flowed into the country, allowing aid organizations to function.

But the limited funds of such funds – to meet the urgent needs and aimed at the government – become clear, with many economists and experts who say the population will suffer without strong state services and a decent banking sector.

DMAC funding is part of around $ 9 billion per year in international development and security assistance which according to the World Bank is frozen since the Taliban takes over power in Afghanistan, which depends on foreign donors for most of its budget.

The de-mining work itself is mostly carried out by assistance groups, but DMAC provides strategic guidelines to prioritize high washing areas and map national de-mining work to avoid duplication efforts, according to Denmark workers and assistance.

Mining action works best when there is national coordination and supervision,” said SØren SØrensen, Head of Humanitarian Weapons and Peace Development for Afghanistan at the Denmark Refugee Council (DRC), an international organization.