By Ismail Khan

Nov.6, 1998

PESHAWAR: Latest reports suggest that

nearly two decades after Afghanistan plunged

into civil war, it is still one of the severely

mine-affected countries in the world.

A report published in the 'Hidden Killer'

compiled by the Office of Humanitarian

Demining Programmes of United States

Department of State Bureau of Political-

Military Affairs quotes the UN figure for the

number of Landmines in Afghanistan at 10

million, though the original source of this

estimate, it points out, cannot be verified and

the actual number may thus never be

determined. Quoting another UN study report,

it said that the UN Office for the Coordination

of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan

(UNOCHA) reduced the number of landmines

to between 5-7 million. Some NGOs, based on

actual experience in heavily mind areas, claim

that the official estimates are still too high and

should be lowered than to less than a million.

An estimate by The HALO Trust in 1997 put

the figure of landmines at 6,20,000. Roughly

50 different types of anti-personnel and

anti-tank mines have been identified during the

clearance to a UNDHA report.

The estimates are still high enough to place

Afghanistan among one of the 12 heavily

mine-affected countries of the world. They

include Angola, Bosnia-Herzegovina,

Cambodia, Croatia, Eritrea, Iraq, Mozambique,

Namibia, Somalia, Nicaragua and Sudan.

These 12 countries together account for almost

50 percent of the landmines currently deployed

in the world and also suffer the highest number

of landmines casualties.

The report released in September 1998

identified provinces bordering Pakistan and

Iran- the western, southern and eastern parts of

Afghanistan, covering 162 of the total 356

districts as mine-affected. Security belts of

landmines exist around major cities and at

airports, government installations, and power

stations. Grazing lands, waterways, schools,

paths, villages and cities are infested with

mostly antipersonnel mines.

The majority of landmines, the report said;

have been found in agricultural and grazing

lands and in or near irrigation system. It said

landmines are responsible for depopulation of

vast tracts of the countryside, affecting crop

harvests and interfering with the transportation

of food supplies into the cities. Roughly 50

percent of Afghan villages and an estimated 25

percent of paved roads have been destroyed or

ruined.

Referring to recent field surveys conducted by

the WAF and the UNHCR, it said that

landmines were the primary reason for

refugees leaving Afghanistan and not returning

home. Over two million Afghan refugees

remain in Iran and Pakistan.

The continuing civil war, it said had severely

affected the economy of Afghanistan. Its Gross

Domestic product (GDP) has fallen

substantially since 1982 because of the loss of

labour and capital and the disruption of trade

and transport. The UNDP now rates

Afghanistan as 171 out of 173 countries in

terms of greatest poverty and least

development. According to ICRC statistics, the

most dangerous activities to rural populations

are tilling fields, herding livestock and foraging

for wood and food. Overall national figures on

the rate of landmine-related injuries and death

are not available, but casualty estimates

indicate that landmines and Unexploded

Ordinance (UXO) cause an estimated 10 to 12

civilian casualties per day. Recent MSF and

ICRC surveys suggest that this figure is too

low, since many victims never get to treatment

centers because of lack of transportation,

significant distances, or impassible roads.

UNOCHA's Mine Action Capacities

coordinates efforts and those of international

NGOs throughout Afghanistan. The UNOCHA

1997 budget included $18 million for mine

awareness, mine clearance, surveys, marking,

and training.