KEY POINTS:
New Zealand soldiers have dealt with more than 1200 individual high explosives during four months in Afghanistan.
The majority are found by local people when planting crops or tending sheep, and they often walk many kilometres to report their finds to the Kiwi base, the NZ Defence Force said.
The New Zealand Explosive Ordinance Disposal (NZEOD) team in Bamyan Province is responsible for the recovery and disposal of landmines, sub-munitions, mortars, rockets, artillery and bombs.
The New Zealand soldiers frequently see locals with missing fingers and limbs, and ridding the country of unexploded ordinance is a daunting task, said team leader Sergeant Craig Harnett.
"Even though we're the tenth rotation of NZDF personnel to Bamyan Province there are still huge quantities of munitions being discovered every day in our area of operations," he said.
"The Russians and the Taleban blanketed this area with explosive items during times of conflict. It's really sad to hear about children being killed while playing and the Afghan people are desperate to make their villages safe.
"We educate the people so they do not handle the explosives themselves and they know to come and find us. Every item we dispose of prevents someone being hurt or killed."
There are currently 122 Defence Force personnel involved in the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan.
- NZ HERALD STAFF
