Scope of the Problem: The table below shows the remaining challenge of minefield1 and battlefield contamination in Afghanistan
At the beginning of this quarter, there were 4,270 hazardous areas with a total area of 535.6 sq km recorded in the national mine action database. During this quarter, 79 hazards making 6.5 sq km were released and returned back to communities. However this quarter, the nationwide MEIFCS survey resulted in the addition of 130 previously unrecorded hazards with an area of 29.8 sq km, bringing the remaining contamination to 4,321 hazards and 558.9 sq km of contaminated area by the quarter end.
ISAF/NATO Firing Ranges: In addition to the above, survey and clearance are required on 71 firing ranges belonging to ISAF/NATO troop contributing nations and covering an area of 1010.4 sq km. From December 2012 to June 2015, 26 such hazards covering an area of 89.2 sq km were successfully released.
Civilian Casualties: In the first quarter of 1394, according to the MAPA records 38 civilians were killed or injured by mines and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW), representing a significant decrease from a quarterly average of 507 mine/ERW casualties recorded in 1380 (2001).
Despite the drop off in mine/ERW casualties, the human cost of pressure‐plate IEDs turns into a significant concern with an average of 65 casualties per month recorded by UNAMA in 2014. According to the current UNAMA report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, 775 civilian casualties (417 killed and 358 injured) from pressure‐plate IEDs were recorded in 2014, showing a 39 percent increase from 2013. This year the average mine/ERW casualties are recorded 38 per month, while the average PPIED casualties is 65 per month, that sums up to 103 civilian casualties per month; which is devastating and unfortunate.