Geneva: The deadly legacy of conflicts old and new – from Gaza to Sudan and beyond – continues to kill and maim civilians on a near-daily basis, mine action workers said on Wednesday, as they appealed for greater support for their lifesaving work in the face of deep funding cuts.

According to EMM, speaking on the sidelines of a key international meeting in support of landmine action taking place at UN Geneva, experts in the field explained how shrinking resources in Afghanistan and Nigeria have exposed civilians to unexploded ordnance. They stressed that mine action programmes, often viewed as long-term recovery initiatives, are in fact emergency humanitarian interventions that save lives.

The UN-partnered Landmine Monitor report highlights that a staggering 77 percent of all casualties in Afghanistan last year were children. Some 54 people are killed there every month by the explosive remnants of war, giving the country the third highest explosive ordnance casualty rate in the world. Nick Pond, who heads m
ine action work at the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), explained that children, mostly boys tending sheep and goats, are often victims as they come across unexploded ordnance.

Despite the urgent need for more deminers to make Afghanistan safe after decades of conflict, a lack of funding has reduced the UN-led team from 15,000 people in 2011 to about 1,300 today, Pond told journalists. Christelle Loupforest, UNMAS Representative in Geneva, emphasized that Afghanistan’s situation is critical to reducing global casualties, with total recorded child casualties since 1999 numbering 30,154. She noted improved support for mine clearance in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Sudan, but stressed the dire funding situation in Afghanistan and Nigeria.

In Sudan, the situation is deeply concerning for landmine clearance teams, particularly in Khartoum, where 1.5 million civilians have returned amidst ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF. Sediq Rashid, UNMAS chief in Sudan, explain
ed that only five clearance teams are operational, all in Khartoum due to immense need. He highlighted the dangers posed by unexploded ordnance across the country.

In El Fasher, besieged for over 500 days and recently overrun by RSF forces, access remains challenging, Rashid said. Despite the end of the siege, shelling persists, and reports of landmines raise further concerns.

In Nigeria, demining teams worry about displaced communities returning to potentially hazardous areas. Edwin Faigmane, UNMAS chief in Nigeria, reported that 80 percent of civilian casualties have occurred in 11 of the 15 areas of return. UNMAS has trained Nigerian security forces and community members in risk education, resulting in reports of unexploded ordnance being passed to authorities.

In Gaza, Julius Van Der Walt, UNMAS chief, noted the immense contamination from two years of combat between Hamas and Israeli forces. This contamination threatens civilians and obstructs humanitarian operations, recovery, and reconstruction effor
ts. Many families are forced to shelter in areas suspected of containing explosive ordnance due to lack of safer alternatives.

In the West Bank, Van Der Walt highlighted the increasing risk of explosive ordnance contamination in densely populated areas. Communities are forced to live alongside deadly remnants of war. The UN Secretary-General’s campaign launched on 16 June 2025 aims to uphold humanitarian disarmament norms and accelerate mine action in support of human rights and national development, particularly protecting children who accounted for 46 percent of casualties in 2024.