Attachments
Introduction
It's winter in Kabul, where the mighty Hindukush range frontiers the city in a narrow valley. Sub-zero temperatures grip the region regularly and resilience becomes a way of life. In many homes, the biting cold yields to the comforting warmth of the bukhari—a traditional woodburning chimney. A typical morning outside Humanity & Inclusion (HI)’s Kabul premises feels chilly with crisp air; next to it lies a trolley laden with freshly chopped wood, patiently waiting to be turned to a cozy fire.
However, the luxury of this home-delivered wood is not extended to every home in the country. Faiza, a resident of Kabul whose humble home mirrors that of many, could not afford such conveniences. On a winter morning in 1992, she stepped out to collect wood for her bukhari. It was the time of intense fighting around Kabul and she could hear the echoes of the conflict, as she walked carefully into the nearby forest. Unfortunately, in the quiet of the forest, an unknowing step on a mine triggered an explosion that pushed Faiza's world into darkness. Faiza lost her vision in the incident.
Through numerous interviews conducted for the research, a common theme appeared – Explosive Ordnance (EO) incidents often occurred when people sought the simple comfort of collecting wood to keep warm or undertook seemingly routine tasks. Faiza's story, echoed by many others, demonstrates the hidden costs and profound consequence of undertaking everyday tasks in a country grappling with the aftermath of a protracted conflict.
Consider another scenario from the streets of Kabul that are full of fruit and vegetable vendors offering abundance of colourful produce, accompanied by the aroma of freshly baked tandoor bread from bustling naan shops. This vibrant scenery of produce sharply contrasts with the harsh reality of starvation amidst the current economic strife in the country. In the course of one of our interviews with an Organisation of Persons with Disabilities (OPD) in Kunduz, a city in the Northeastern province of Afghanistan, we learned how members of the OPD had pooled their meagre resources each contributing 20 AFG, approximately 20 cents, to prevent a desperate father from selling his son, due to poverty. This is not an isolated story. Desperation, fuelled by economic conditions, is increasingly driving parents to sell their young daughters into marriage.
The case of selling children, confirms the unmissable economic situation that has spared no one. The economic conditions in Afghanistan are undeniably dire, casting a shadow that looms larger for those already struggling with the hardships as EO victims.
Following decades of war, Afghanistan has one of the highest levels of explosive hazard contamination in the world including both legacy explosive contamination and new types of explosive hazards, in particular Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), as well as explosive remnants of war (ERW).
Based on mine action projections, 4.9 million people (including people living within 1 km of explosive hazards, cross-border returnees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) and conflict affected non-displaced populations) need mine action services. Over 3,750 hazardous areas continue to affect approximately 1,500 communities across the country.
The government of Afghanistan requested a clearance extension at the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention meeting in 2012, with a plan to clear all-known contaminated areas by 2023. Another extension request was submitted at the Meeting of States Parties of the Mine Ban Treaty in November 2022, to clear all known contaminated areas by March 2025. While working towards this objective remains very important, Afghanistan is far from realizing it, let alone by 2025, but not at all until some important changes and efforts are effectuated by all parties involved.
Case Study Objectives
The objectives of this case study are threefold:
I. At the outset, the objective of the study is to address the need for contemporary, firsthand information concerning population affected by EO contamination in Afghanistan. The study aims to do this by identifying the segment of the population most in need of Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) and their challenges. Though interviews for this purpose were conducted in Kabul, Kunduz and Kandahar, the findings can be applied to the larger context of Afghanistan.
II. Secondly, the study examines the obstacles encountered in delivering effective HMA to the population. Interviews with HMA actors, Directorate of Mine Action Coordination (DMAC) and United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) informs this section of the study.
III. Lastly, the study explores both current and potential approaches for navigating these challenges through HI’s people-centred and integrated responses in the given context of Afghanistan.
With the help of testimonies from those affected, the case study aims to contribute essential insights currently absent from the discourse. This understanding is critical for delivering targeted and effective HMA.