The Legacy of War in Afghanistan | Mine Action Day 2025

“I was playing with some kids. I picked up a mine with my hands. The bomb exploded.” Nasratullah, 10 years old, lost two fingers to a landmine.

More than a quarter of Afghanistan remains contaminated by landmines, IEDs, cluster munitions—the explosive remnants left behind by decades of war. At EMERGENCY’s hospitals across the country, we continue to treat hundreds of patients with mine injuries every year.

Many of the victims are children.

“I wanted to bring apricots from the garden. Then, the mine exploded on me.” Abdullah, 13, was seriously injured in the blast. Both his grandfather and brother were killed.

In recent months, at least five European states—Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Finland—have announced their intention to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, a treaty that bans both the production and use of anti-personnel landmines. Once a milestone in international law, the weakening of the Ottawa Convention threatens the long-term protection of civilians and health.

“When the explosion happened, I thought I was done for,” says 25-year-old Bashir, injured by a stray landmine while building a home for his family. “The country is full of mines. With the help of the doctors, some of us are healed.”

This International Mine Action Day, we are sharing stories from our patients in Long Night, a new documentary by Lynzy Billing offering a rare perspective on healthcare in Afghanistan – from providing free treatment in the midst of war, to treating those who continue to suffer in its wake.