Khartoum's Deadly Minefield: Children's Lives at Risk

0:00It's April 29th. This is Global News Today, AI-powered stories from around the world. Sudan's brutal war has turned Cartoum into a deadly playground, littered with unexploded minds, bombs, and shells from three years of fighting. Hundreds have been hurt or killed, picking them up, mistaking them for toys or scrap. Kids make up most of the victims, with nearly 60 cases in Cartoum State last year alone, and over half being children. The conflict kicked off in 2023 between the army and rapid support forces, both accused of planting these hidden killers while battling. For the capital, now that the military has retaken Cartoum, tens of thousands of folks are heading back to the ghost town, unaware of the risks underfoot. Residents like Caledab Dogator, grab will look like a ball to save some kids. Boom, he lost two fingers and took shrapnel to the chest. In 18-year-old laborer, Mogadim Ibrahim picked up metal thinking it was car junk, a blue his hand apart, leaving him jobless and depressed, unable to support his family.

1:03The mining crews are grinding away, but is slow going, 10 to 15 square meters a day per team. The United Nations cleared 7.8 million square meters in Cartoum State over the past year, pulling out more than 36,000 dangerous items, including anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. Groups like Jazz Marges finished eight months on a popular park, finding over 160 devices after one person died there. Governments pushing awareness through mosques, markets, and radio, but many say warnings came too late. With 1.7 million back in the state and rebuilding underway, clearing the rest could take years, keeping everyone on edge as life tries to. Restart