Red Cross: Half of Syria's population at risk due to mines and remnants of war

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has called for an urgent response to the growing threat posed by landmines and explosive remnants in Syria, warning that these deadly materials continue to claim lives.

In a statement issued on the occasion of World Mine Awareness Day, which falls on April 4, the head of the ICRC delegation in Syria, Stephane Sakalian, explained that the country has witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of injuries caused by explosive ordnance from December 8, 2024 until March 25, 2025, where 748 injuries were reported, including more than 500 injuries since the beginning of 2025 alone, compared to 912 injuries recorded during the whole of 2024.

Children, women and farmers are among the most affected, Sakalian said, with children dying while playing in Daraa and Hama, women injured while collecting firewood or scrap metal in Deir ez-Zor and Idlib, and farmers suffering injuries while working in the fields in Doma.

Sakalian added that the high number of casualties is linked to the presence of abandoned military vehicles that may contain ammunition or explosives, as well as neglected ammunition stockpiles, which increases the risk of injury, especially in light of the return of citizens to their areas without awareness of the dangers inherent there.

According to the committee, more than half of Syrians face daily risks due to explosive material, and children are the most affected, constituting a third of the victims, while fears of contamination with weapons lead to difficulties in education, health care, agriculture and livestock grazing, due to fear of movement in the affected areas, exacerbating food insecurity.

Sh-S

ANHA