Afghanistan
The security situation in Afghanistan is highly unstable. Protracted armed conflict with non-state armed groups and foreign entities has caused large population displacement, economic precarity and frequent surges of armed violence.[1] As of 2022, reports state that human rights violations persist in the country.[2] Due to this insecurity, Afghanistan has high levels of weapons and ammunition trafficking.[3] There are also important risks linked to unexploded ordnance left in the country.[4]
The HALO Trust is on the ground to help with the through-life management of ammunition. Efforts have included building and rehabilitating Ammunition Storage Areas, destroying excess ammunition, deploying Conventional Weapons Destruction teams during emergency callouts, and completing Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM) projects to secure ammunition in Mazar-iSharif.[5]
[1] “Afghanistan.” Crisis Group. Accessed August 25, 2022. https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia/south-asia/afghanistan.
[2] “World Report 2022: Afghanistan Events of 2021.” Human Rights Watch. Accessed August 25, 2022. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/afghanistan.
[3] LL.M, Tanya Mehra, Méryl Demuynck, and Matthew Wentworth. “Weapons in Afghanistan: The Taliban's Spoils of War.” ICCT, February 7, 2022. https://icct.nl/publication/taliban-spoils-of-war/.
[4] “Afghanistan.” UNMAS. Accessed August 25, 2022. https://www.unmas.org/en/programmes/afghanistan.
[5] See A-MAP Database.
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Further information
Accidental explosions
Since the beginning of data collection in 1979 by the Small Arms Survey, numerous accidental explosions were reported in Afghanistan (Table 1).
Table. 1 Accidental explosions in Afghanistan (1979-2021)
Year | Location | Owner/manager | Deaths | Injuries |
2015 | Kandahar | State (police) | 2 | 21 |
2013 | Kabul | State (military) | 0 | 0 |
2009 | Jalalabad | State (military) | 1 | 20 |
2009 | Behsud | Foreign (intervention) | 4 | 17 |
2006 | Jabal-os-Saraj | State (military) | 2 | 60 |
2005 | Bajgah | Non-state (actor) | 30 | 70 |
2005 | Rustaq | N/A | 7 | 16 |
2004 | Ghazni | N/A | 7 | 3 |
2004 | Herat | N/A | 5 | 34 |
2004 | Bagrami | State (military) | 0 | 0 |
2003 | Tokhichi | State (military) | 1 | 3 |
2003 | Aqcha | Non-state (actor) | 25 | 9 |
2003 | Bagram | Non-state (actor) | 6 | 10 |
2003 | Mehtar Lam | Non-state (actor) | 9 | 0 |
2002 | Kandahar | Foreign (intervention) | 0 | 0 |
2002 | Spin Boldak | Non-state (actor) | 32 | 70 |
2002 | Spin Boldak | N/A | N/A | 2 |
2002 | Spin Boldak | N/A | 0 | 2 |
2002 | Jalalabad | Non-state (company) | 26 | 90 |
2001 | Darulaman | Non-state (actor) | 0 | 3 |
2000 | Kabul | Non-state (actor) | 0 | 0 |
1999 | Kabul | Non-state (actor) | 0 | 0 |
1999 | Kabul | Non-state (actor) | 1 | 8 |
1999 | Mazār-e Sharīf | Non-state (actor) | 7 | 47 |
1997 | Jalalabad | Non-state (actor) | 30 | 128 |
1996 | Kabul | State (other) | 60 | 125 |
1996 | Kabul | Non-state (actor) | 1 | 8 |
1991 | Kabul | State (military) | N/A | N/A |
1986 | Kabul | State (military) | 0 | 0 |
Source: Small Arms Survey. n.d. Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites (UEMS). Database.
Cases of diversion
Insufficient information on cases of diversion in Afghanistan.
Disposal
Destruction, use, or export of ammunition as an indicator of a state’s ability to identify and decrease aging, unsafe, or surplus ammunition.
Insufficient information on the disposal of ammunition in Afghanistan.
Needs
Further requirements for an effective through-life management of ammunition in the country.
No needs have been reported for Afghanistan.[1]
[1] PoA Report 2018, Afghanistan. Please note that PoA reports focus on SALW and not specifically on ammunition. https://unoda-poa.s3.amazonaws.com/reports/AFG-English-850-SUBMITTED.pdf.
