Sudan Mine Contamination Complicates Returns and Aid Access

Explosive hazards are creating a second barrier to civilian returns and humanitarian work in Sudan, with new minefields identified at sites needed for reconstruction in central Khartoum.

In a factsheet published September 1, 2026, the United Nations Mine Action Service said 108 people were killed or injured in 38 explosive-ordnance accidents across Sudan from January through June 2026. UNMAS said that was more victims than during the same period in 2025, but cautioned that the reported total is incomplete because of limitations in reporting capacity and mechanisms.

Nearly half of the recorded victims were in Khartoum and Al Jazirah, which are receiving the largest share of returns. Children accounted for 55% of victims whose ages were recorded.

Minefields are complicating reconstruction

UNMAS said new minefields had been identified in central Khartoum, including at a bridge rehabilitation site across the Nile. The factsheet does not say the project has been permanently halted. It shows instead how contamination can complicate surveys, construction, transport and access around a work site.

The practical effect extends beyond a single bridge. Roads, public spaces, homes and infrastructure may need to be surveyed before aid convoys, repair crews and returning families can use them safely. That can slow humanitarian movement and delay the restoration of water, transport and other public services.

UNMAS said it is working with Sudan’s National Mine Action Center and other partners on surveying and clearing hazardous areas, explosive-ordnance risk education, aid-worker awareness and contamination mapping. The stated purpose is not only to remove hazards but also to enable safe access for humanitarian assistance and early recovery.

Returns are increasing exposure

The danger is growing as people go back to areas damaged by the war. In an April 6, 2026, briefing, the United Nations said more than 1.6 million Sudanese had returned to Khartoum in recent months, while explosive remnants of war and damaged infrastructure remained serious risks.

That return movement changes how unexploded weapons affect civilians. Areas that were previously empty or inaccessible can become neighborhoods, markets, schools, transport routes or reconstruction zones. People who did not witness the fighting may not recognize mines, shells, grenades or other remnants as dangerous.

Earlier reporting from the Associated Press in Khartoum described residents encountering unexploded weapons and showed deminers working in contaminated public areas. AP reported that tens of thousands of explosive items remained across Sudan, that more than 36,000 items had been found during clearance in Khartoum state over nearly a year, and that some minefields were near important bridges. That reporting predates the September UNMAS factsheet but provides independent on-the-ground context for its warning.

The casualty figure is likely an undercount

The 108 reported deaths and injuries should not be treated as a complete national tally. UNMAS said the true number is expected to be much higher because many incidents are not captured by existing reporting systems.

The available sources also do not establish who planted particular minefields or devices. The immediate issue for civilians and aid groups is whether contaminated areas have been identified, marked and cleared well enough to permit safe movement.

For Sudan’s returnees, humanitarian agencies and repair crews, access therefore depends on more than road security or permission to operate. It also depends on whether the ground beneath routes and work sites has been surveyed and made safe. In Khartoum and Al Jazirah, mine-action work is tied directly to reopening routes, repairing infrastructure and making returns safer.

Sources

• UNMAS Factsheet (April-June 2026), United Nations in Sudan
• Sudan war’s hidden danger: Unexploded weapons have injured hundreds, Associated Press
• Noon briefing of April 6, 2026, U.N. Secretary-General
• Sudan mine-action program, UNMAS