Mines, unexploded devices continuing to kill, maim civilians in Afghanistan
KABUL - Thousands of villages and hamlets in Afghanistan have turned into ghost towns, as land mines and explosive devices continue to claim the lives of civilians in one of the world's most heavily mined countries.
Some of the hidden enemies are the remnants of unexploded ordnance left over during the past four decades of prolonged wars. The lethal weapons are still deployed today and indiscriminately claim the lives of people, most of whom are civilians including children.
Kandahar province, in Afghanistan's southern zone, has reportedly been blanketed with vast numbers of anti-infantry mines and explosive ordnance, according to one victim, who lost one of his legs to a roadside mine.
"I was only 12 when I was hit by a roadside mine in my native village. The road was asphalted at that time... The device looked like a sugar pot hidden underground," Abdul Rauf, 43, told Xinhua.
Farmers working on their farmlands are the main victims of the hidden enemies in Kandahar province, where Abdul Rauf's ancestors have long been working as gardeners.
Rauf has had a hard time, since his right leg was amputated in hospital after doctors decided that removing the limb was the only solution.
The victim, who is now working for the Kandahar municipality, is not only the bread winner for his seven-member family, but also has six nephews also needing his financial support.
"I am now an official of the provincial municipality and have to support a 13-member household, including my seven children as well as six nephews whose father died of a critical illness," said Rauf, who earns around 10,000 afghani ($140) each month.
Up to 48 civilians have lost their lives in land mine explosions and 98 others wounded since 2018 in the southern Kandahar province.
Across the southern region, the total number of casualties is estimated at 123 and the number of wounded at around 330 people, Amanullah Bina, an official with the Directorate of Mine Action Coordination, or DMAC, a mine clearing agency, told Xinhua recently.
In 2018, about 3,428 land mines and Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDs, were detected and defused in Arghandab, Arghistan, Daman, Ghurak, Khakriz, Maiwand, Nish, Panjwayee, Shawalikot, Spin Boldak and Zhari districts of the restive Kandahar province, according to the official.
The official added that 283 square kilometers have been cleared of land mines and explosive ordinances, while 386 square km have yet to be cleared.
According to a UN investigative report, up to 170 civilians are being killed by mines each month, a sharp increase in the past five years in Afghanistan.
"At one point, we were optimistic that the number of victims in Afghanistan was below a hundred a year, but now we are at 170 a month," said Agnes Marcaillou, director of the UN Mine Action Service.
Xinhua
(China Daily 04/29/2019 page11)
