Lack of funds hampers de-mining efforts in Afghanistan

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STORY: At a Red Cross hospital in Kabul, a woman helps her young child put on his prosthetic leg.

He's just one of thousands of land-mine victims in Afghanistan.

After four decades of war, the country is one of the most heavily mined places on Earth.

About 300 children were killed or maimed by unexploded devices in the seven months to March.

Shabana, who works at the hospital, was a victim herself years ago:

"It has been 15 years since I lost my legs due to a landmine explosion. I was seven years old and was not familiar with landmines. I stepped on a landmine and lost both my legs."

De-mining work itself is largely carried out by aid groups in Afghanistan.

The Taliban's return to power last summer should have helped those efforts, with swathes of territory that were off-limits during the fighting finally accessible.

Yet, foreign governments have frozen development aid to the Afghan government - unwilling to prop up a Taliban regime that restricts the rights of girls and women.

The Afghan government agency that now oversees mine clearance told Reuters it had lost its roughly $3 million funding.

In April, it laid off about 120 staff - the majority of its organization.

Charlotte Slente is the Secretary-General of the Danish Refugee Council.

"The issue of landmines and unexploded ordnances is a very, very big problem in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is actually one of the most contaminated countries on earth."

"According to the national institution DMAC (Directorate of Mine Action Coordination) on de-mining, above hundred casualties per month in Afghanistan, due to the landmines."

Asked about the cash crunch and layoffs, the U.S. Department of State said it was continuing to support humanitarian de-mining in Afghanistan by directly funding NGO partners.

A spokesperson said it had provided $720 million in overall humanitarian assistance to Afghans since last August.

But isolating the Taliban may come at a cost.

Without robust state services, many economists and experts say the population will suffer.