The head of MDC demining institute pointed out that in the past 15,000 professional personnel were working in the demining sector, but now only 3,000 people are working due to the lack of funds, and said: In the last two years, the demining budget has decreased by 70%.

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Kabul: While millions of people in the country are facing the direct and indirect danger of mines and other unexploded ordnance, funding for demining programs in Afghanistan has decreased by 70% compared to the past.
Some demining institutions in Afghanistan say that the main reason for this reduction in the financing of these programs; Changing the policies and behavior of the international community towards Afghanistan is new after the political developments.
Shahab Hakimi, head of MDC demining institute, said in an interview with Radio Azadi that stopping demining activities would endanger the lives of millions of people.
He says, "Currently, about 1,200 square kilometers of areas are contaminated with mines, which includes 4,233 villages. Of these areas, 3.4 million people are affected directly and 3.4 million people are affected indirectly. These areas are located in 266 districts.
He pointed out that the demining sector receives very little funding, which is due to the political developments in Afghanistan, especially after 2021, and added: In the last two years, the demining budget has decreased by 70%.
Hakimi added: In the past, 15,000 professional personnel were working in this sector, but now, due to the lack of funds, only 3,000 people are working and the rest stayed at home.
Reports show that so far financial aid to mine clearance programs in Afghanistan was provided by the United Nations.
The MDC Institute (MDC) said that mine explosions and unexploded ordnance cause death to more than 70 people in Afghanistan every month.
Earlier, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) wrote on its X page on July 21 that about three and a half million people in Afghanistan face the permanent threat and loss of mines and other unexploded ordnance.
Source: Afghan Voice news agency (Ava) Kabul