In the rugged, beautiful, and traumatized landscape of Afghanistan, an invisible army wages a silent war. Their enemy is not a visible force, but a hidden, patient, and indiscriminate killer buried inches beneath the soil. This is the battle against landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), a decades-long humanitarian effort that represents one of the most critical, yet underreported, stories of resilience and hope in the country’s modern history. For the brave men and women who are Afghanistan’s de-miners, every inch of cleared ground is a victory, every safe field a returned livelihood, and every saved child a generation secured.
Afghanistan is one of the most heavily contaminated countries on earth. The legacy of over 40 years of consecutive conflict—from the Soviet invasion and the civil war to the recent insurgency and international military intervention—is a terrifying tapestry of explosives. It is estimated that over 500 square kilometers of land remain contaminated with anti-personnel mines, anti-tank mines, and, most pervasively, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and unexploded ordnance (UXO) from airstrikes and artillery duels. This contamination is not confined to old battlefields; it infests agricultural land, surrounds vital water sources, borders schools, and lurks in residential areas, making daily life a lethal gamble for millions.
The Scale of the Catastrophe: A Nation Living on a Fault Line
The human cost of this contamination is staggering and relentlessly personal.
- Daily Casualties: For years, Afghanistan recorded some of the highest annual mine casualty rates in the world. While significant progress had been made, the recent economic collapse has forced desperate populations to migrate to new, often unsurveyed, areas for land, food, and work, tragically causing a spike in accidents.
- An Economic Stranglehold: The economic impact is devastating. Fertile agricultural land lies fallow because it is too dangerous to plough. Critical irrigation canals cannot be cleaned or repaired. Roads and pathways essential for taking goods to market are avoided. This contamination actively stifles recovery, perpetuating poverty and food insecurity in a country already on its knees.
- A Barrier to Return: For millions of internally displaced persons and refugees hoping to return to their ancestral homes, the fear of what might be buried in their fields or gardens is a powerful deterrent. De-mining is, therefore, a prerequisite for sustainable return and reintegration.
The Heroes on the Frontline: How De-Mining Works
The process of de-mining is painstaking, perilous, and profoundly slow. It is a world away from the dramatic Hollywood depictions of bomb disposal.
- Non-Technical Survey: Teams first conduct extensive interviews with local communities to identify suspected hazardous areas (SHAs). Elders and long-term residents provide crucial historical knowledge about where fighting occurred, where old fortifications were, and where previous accidents have happened.
- Technical Survey: Experts then enter the suspected area, often using metal detectors and, in some advanced units, ground-penetrating radar or specially trained mine detection dogs. They mark the precise boundaries of the contamination.
- Clearance – The Manual Method: This is the most common and meticulous method. A de-miner, clad in a thick protective visor and Kevlar apron, lies prone on the ground and painstakingly probes every centimeter of soil at a 30-degree angle with a special tool. It is a job requiring superhuman patience, a steady hand, and immense courage. When a metal object is detected, the de-miner carefully excavates around it to identify it. If it is a mine or UXO, it is either destroyed on-site in a controlled explosion or carefully removed for later disposal.
- Mechanical Clearance: In some open areas, armored machines like flails and tillers can be used to systematically crush or detonate devices in their path. However, these machines are expensive, less effective on rough terrain, and are often used to prepare the way for the more precise manual teams.
- Risk Education: Parallel to clearance is the vital work of Mine Risk Education (MRE). Teams, often including former victims, visit schools and communities to teach people, especially children, how to recognize different types of explosives and what to do if they find one (“Don’t touch! Move away! Report!”). This simple message has saved countless lives.
The Organizations Leading the Charge
This monumental task has been led by a coalition of heroic organizations. The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) formerly oversaw the national effort. The implementation, however, has long been carried out by dedicated non-profits.
The Halo Trust and the Danish Demining Group (DDG) became household names in Afghanistan, employing thousands of local Afghan men and, significantly, women, to clear their own land. The Mine Detection Dog Center (MDC) pioneered the use of canine units to sniff out explosives. For many years, the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) coordinated the international effort and channeled funding.
These groups did not just clear explosives; they built a national capacity. They employed and trained a vast workforce of Afghans, creating one of the most skilled de-mining cadres in the world and providing stable incomes in rural areas where jobs were scarce.
A Crisis Within a Crisis: The Current State of Affairs
The political transition of August 2021 created a perfect storm that threatens to unravel decades of progress.
- The Funding Collapse: The international freeze on development aid directly hit the de-mining sector. Donor funds, which constituted nearly 100% of the budget for mine action, were suddenly paused or redirected. This led to layoffs, the suspension of operations, and the mothballing of expensive equipment. The very programs that were protecting civilians were being dismantled due to a lack of money.
- Operational Challenges: Engaging with the new de facto authorities to secure permissions and ensure the safety of de-mining teams, particularly female staff, has introduced new layers of complexity. The economic crisis has also increased the risk of looting of valuable de-mining equipment and stored explosives.
- A New and More Lethal Legacy: The nature of contamination has evolved. While traditional, factory-made mines remain a threat, the vast and scattered residue of IEDs from the recent conflict—often made with plastic components that evade metal detectors—poses a newer, more complex, and even more dangerous challenge for clearance teams.
Why This Fight Cannot Be Abandoned
Abandoning de-mining efforts in Afghanistan is not an option. The consequences would be catastrophic and multi-generational.
- Saving Lives and Limbs: This is the immediate and most critical humanitarian imperative. Every day that clearance is delayed is another day a child, a farmer, or a herder could be killed or maimed.
- Unlocking Economic Recovery: Clearing agricultural land is direct food security work. Making roads safe is trade and commerce enablement. De-mining is not just a humanitarian activity; it is fundamental infrastructure for economic survival.
- A Foundation for Peace: A country cannot begin to rebuild, to heal, or to envision a stable future while its very soil is seeded with death. De-mining is the essential first step in any long-term recovery process, literally preparing the ground for all other development—new schools, hospitals, roads, and farms.
Conclusion: A Promise to Keep
The de-miners of Afghanistan are silent liberators. They work without fanfare, their victories measured in square meters cleared and lives unknowingly saved. Their work is a powerful testament to the enduring Afghan spirit—a commitment to reclaiming the land from the horrors of the past and making it safe for future generations.
The international community has a moral and practical obligation to ensure this work continues. Finding solutions to channel funding, supporting the brave NGOs that are still operating, and advocating for the safety of de-mining personnel are urgent priorities. The landmines and explosives will not disappear on their own. They are a persistent, evil legacy that demands a persistent, courageous response. The battle for a safe Afghanistan is being fought one inch at a time, and it is a battle the world cannot afford to let them lose.