UN Warns of Growing Threat from Landmines in Syria

Syria, September 5 (Daily Kiran) : The United Nations has issued a stark warning regarding the dangers posed by explosive weapons and landmines in Syria. The UN’s humanitarian agency, OCHA, reported significant risks to civilians’ lives and livelihoods due to the ongoing presence of these hazards.

In a statement released on Friday, OCHA noted that the impact of explosive contamination extends beyond immediate danger to people’s homes. It affects their mobility, work, and ability to support their families.

In just the past week, OCHA documented a dozen incidents related to explosive weapons across six provinces in Syria. Tragically, these incidents resulted in the deaths of nine individuals, including six children, while 13 others sustained injuries.

One particularly devastating event occurred on Monday in the Deir ez-Zor province, where a civilian vehicle struck a landmine, leading to the deaths of five children and injuring three other civilians. Raqqa province reported the highest number of explosions, underscoring the persistent threat from remnants of war in northern Syria.

Another incident took place on Tuesday in the city of Binnish, located in the northwestern Idlib province. An explosion involving a vehicle loaded with munitions resulted in two fatalities and five injuries, as reported by the Syrian Arab News Agency. The blast triggered several additional explosions in the area.

Since December 8, 2024, OCHA has recorded over 1,400 incidents related to explosive weapons in Syria, resulting in approximately 2,500 civilian casualties, including 880 deaths. More than two-thirds of these incidents have occurred on agricultural and grazing lands, highlighting the urgent need for large-scale clearance operations to mitigate risks for farmers, herders, and travelers in rural communities.

OCHA emphasized that partners working on mine action stress the importance of educating civilians about the risks of explosive weapons, conducting clearance operations, and providing assistance to affected individuals to ensure their safety and facilitate their return home.