Landmines and school damage threaten 200 students in Tel Tamr

More than 200 students at Shahid Ahmad al-Wajri School in the northern countryside of Tel Tamr face conditions that threaten their safety and prevent some of them from continuing their education. The dangers include landmines, a damaged school building and a lack of basic supplies, prompting calls to secure and rehabilitate the school.

The school is located between the villages of Qubur al-Qarajna and Sheikh Ali and serves as the main educational facility for children from both villages. However, the presence of landmines around the school and damage to parts of its building make attending classes dangerous. The school also lacks chairs, desks, heating equipment, sanitation facilities, water and textbooks.

As a result, some parents have refrained from sending their children to school, leaving them with two difficult choices: expose their children to danger or keep them out of education.

Students Sit on the Floor as Parents Fear Sending Their Children to School

Amina al-Ahmad, a mother of four school-age children, spoke about the difficulties her children face in continuing their education. She pointed to the presence of landmines, accumulated rubble and dust, damage to the building, and the absence of chairs, heating and sanitation facilities.

She said seven years of displacement had severely affected her children's educational levels. One of her children has reached the ninth grade but still struggles to recognise letters.

She called for the removal of landmines and remnants of war, cleaning, repairing and repainting the school, and providing chairs to create a suitable learning environment.

Meanwhile, Tuffaha al-Sheikh Saleh said her children refuse to attend school because of its damaged condition and the fact that they have to sit on the floor due to the lack of chairs.

She added that their fear of the school forces her to constantly try to convince them of the importance of continuing their education despite the prevailing conditions.

Abdullah al-Sheikh Saleh, from the village of Sheikh Ali, said his children do not attend the school because of its damaged condition and lack of textbooks, chairs, water and essential equipment. He called for repairs and the provision of the minimum requirements needed for the educational process.

From an Educational Facility to a Military Barracks

In late 2019, the forces of the former Syrian regime turned the school into a military barracks after deploying to the area under an agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The move came as part of efforts to halt attacks by the Turkish army and its allied armed factions, following their capture of Serekaniye and advance towards the outskirts of Tel Tamr.

Since then, the building has ceased to serve its educational purpose and become a military site during a period marked by escalating tensions and changes on the ground in the area.

Calls to Secure and Rehabilitate the School

To follow up on the school's conditions and the parents' demands, ANHA contacted the Hasakah Education Directorate and submitted several requests seeking information about possible solutions to the problems. However, it had received no response by the time this report was prepared.

Ensuring students' safety remains the parents' foremost demand. This includes removing landmines and remnants of war, securing the school's surroundings, repairing the building, clearing rubble and providing essential supplies and services so that children can resume their education without risking their lives.

On November 4, 15 people were injured and another person was killed, including children, when a landmine exploded at al-Muhdatha School in the city of Zarghan. The injured ranged in age from two to 20, and sustained shrapnel wounds to different parts of their bodies.

ANHA