519 children killed, maimed by explosive ordnance in Iraq in last five years: UN

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – At least 519 children have been killed or maimed by explosive devices across Iraq over the past five years, the United Nations said on Monday. 

In a joint statement on International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and Children's Fund (UNICEF) called on governments to avoid using explosives in populated areas. 

"Children are particularly vulnerable, attracted to remnants for their colorful appearance and unaware of how dangerous they are," the statement said. 

More than 80 percent of those 519 children killed or maimed by explosives were boys, according to the statement. 

Also, more than 13,500 civilians have been killed by landmines and other explosives in the Kurdistan Region, according to a statement released by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Mine Action Agency on Monday. 

Countless landmines were planted along the Iraqi border with Iran during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) and pose dangers to people in those regions to the present day. More recently, ISIS also left large quantities of lethal explosive devices that continue to endanger lives in many areas.