UN WARNS RETURNING DISPLACED NIGERIANS FACE LANDMINE DANGER
The United Nations has raised alarms over the safety of displaced Nigerians returning to their communities as camps close, warning that many may be exposed to hidden explosive remnants.
Speaking at a major international meeting on landmine action held at the UN in Geneva on Wednesday, experts highlighted how reduced resources in countries like Afghanistan and Nigeria have left civilians vulnerable to unexploded ordnance.
They emphasized that mine action programmes, often seen as long-term recovery efforts, are actually critical emergency interventions that save lives.
Mr. Edwin Faigmane, Chief of the Mine Action Programme representing UNMAS in Nigeria, stated that returnees face significant risks of landmine-related fatalities. He revealed that 80 percent of civilian casualties occur in just 11 of the 15 areas where displaced persons are returning.
In response, UNMAS has trained Nigerian security forces, police, and civil defence personnel on risk awareness in unstable and hard-to-reach regions. Faigmane noted the effectiveness of the approach, saying that reports from community members and local authorities about discovered explosive devices are being promptly communicated to security and military forces.
The meeting also addressed the threat posed to children by explosive remnants in Afghanistan. According to the UN-partnered Landmine Monitor report, 77 percent of casualties in Afghanistan in 2024 were children. On average, 54 people die each month from explosive remnants of war, giving the country the third-highest casualty rate globally.
Nick Pond, head of mine action at the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, explained that most victims are boys tending livestock who pick up explosives out of curiosity or play, often leading to fatal accidents.
Despite decades of conflict necessitating more deminers, funding shortages have drastically reduced personnel from 15,000 in 2011 to just 1,300 today. Since 1999, over 30,000 children have been recorded as casualties in Afghanistan. Christelle Loupforest, UNMAS Representative in Geneva, stressed that continued mine-clearance efforts in Afghanistan are critical to reducing global child casualties.
While mine action programmes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Sudan have recently received better support, Loupforest warned that the situation in Afghanistan and Nigeria remains critical, with programmes facing suspension without renewed donor commitments. “It’s the same for our programme in Ethiopia,” she added.
