U.N.: Afghan mines killed more than 600 in ’07
USA TODAY
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Land mines and other explosive devices killed more than 600 people last year in Afghanistan, one of the most mined countries in the world, the United Nations said Friday.
De-miners have cleared more than 1 billion square yards of land across the country but 2,300 communities are still affected by known minefields, the U.N. Mine Action Program in Afghanistan said.
“Afghanistan is still one of the most heavily mined countries in the world,” said Haider Reza, head of the program.
“Mines and explosives killed over 600 Afghans last year. That is an average of 50 people every month. This figure is too high and we must all continue to work together to ensure that we reduce the number of people killed, injured and maimed by land mines in Afghanistan,” he said.
Half of the victims were under 18 years old, the group said in a statement.
More than 350,000 anti-personnel mines, 19,000 anti-tank mines and millions of other explosive items have been destroyed, but there are still too many mine victims, Reza said.
The U.N. Mine Action Program in Afghanistan has provided mine-risk education to 17 million Afghans over the past 18 years, it said.
Afghanistan has been ravaged by a quarter-century of war and a continuing Taliban insurgency. More than 8,000 people were killed in the fighting in 2007, the deadliest year since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.
