As International Troops Depart Afghanistan, the Threat of Landmines Remains

Aug 11, 2021 | Evan Jones and Daniel Bertoli
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Buried amongst the dozens of pressing challenges in Afghanistan is an issue that rarely receives the international spotlight: the prevalence of landmines and other explosive remnants of war.  Often referred to as ‘hidden and indiscriminate killer[s]’, landmines threaten all segments of society, and are a fundamental barrier to long-term solutions to conflict. From June 2020 to May 2021 alone, Afghanistan witnessed 673 fatalities and 836 civilian injuries from landmines and explosive ordnance – a shocking number of lives ended or adversely impacted.