Afghanistan: Unexploded ordnances continue devastating communities, mainly children

In Mazar-e-Sharif, 25-year-old Marzia Hussaini’s life changed in an instant. “We were travelling when our car hit a landmine,” she recalled. “When I woke up, both of my legs were gone. It felt like my life had ended.”

The days that followed were filled with despair. “I lost hope,” she said. “Everything felt dark, and I could not imagine a future.” But at the ICRC’s PRC, something shifted. “I saw others like me who were still moving forward. That gave me strength.”

With time, she was fitted with artificial limbs and slowly with the help of the physiotherapists she began walking again. Through the ICRC’s social inclusion program, she also received an interest-free loan to rebuild her life.

“Now I run a small cattle business and sell dairy products to support my family,” she said.

In 2025, ICRC’s PRCs assisted over 6,750 people affected by mines and explosive ordinance. Kabul recorded the highest number of beneficiaries (2,221), followed by Jalalabad (1,328), Mazar (924), and Herat (871), while centers like Faizabad (457) and Gulbahar (265) reported lower but still significant caseloads. 

The demographic breakdown shows that men and boys accounted for 6,225 users, compared to 359 women and girls.