Landmines in Syria Claim Hundreds of Lives Amid Return of Displaced Residents

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In the three months following the fall of the Assad regime, over 200 individuals, including women and children, have died from incidents involving unexploded ordnance in Syria. As approximately 1.2 million displaced residents return to their homes, the risk from scattered landmines and munitions remains dangerously high, according to the Halo Trust, a landmine charity that reports 640 people killed or injured so far, with one-third being children.

Mine action expert Mohammed Sami Al Mohammed, from the Syrian Civil Defence (White Helmets), noted, "No area in Syria is safe from war remnants." His assessment reflects the expansive presence of explosive remnants from 14 years of civil conflict, with significant casualties occurring in rural and urban areas hit hardest by fighting. Al Mohammed stated that it could take decades to make Syria safe, referencing other war-torn countries still struggling with similar dangers.

Volunteer deminers, such as Fahd al-Ghajar, have been working tirelessly in the field, often at great personal risk. Tragically, Ghajar was killed in a mine explosion on February 21 while clearing land, highlighting the ongoing peril faced by those trying to help their communities recover.

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