Every year on 4 April, the world marks the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, a day established by the United Nations to raise awareness of the dangers posed by landmines and explosive remnants of war. It is also a moment to recognise the vital work needed to make communities safe again.

For countries recovering from conflict, mine action is often one of the first steps towards recovery. It clears the way for people to return home, rebuild livelihoods, and restore everyday life.

The challenge in Syria

In Syria, this work is particularly urgent. Following a decade of war and recent political shifts after the collapse of the Assad regime in late 2024, communities are starting to consider rebuilding. However, explosive ordnance contamination remains one of the biggest obstacles to safe returns and rebuilding everyday life.

What are explosive ordnance and unexploded ordnance?

Explosive ordnance (EO) refers to all munitions including landmines, improvised explosive devices, and unexploded bombs or shells. These hazards can remain active for years, posing a constant threat to civilians returning home, travelling to school, or working their land.

Unexploded ordnance (UXO) is a specific category of EO. These are explosive devices that did not detonate when they were employed and still pose a risk of detonation. They can still explode if disturbed, making them particularly dangerous and often invisible threats in communities.

Over one million explosive munitions have been used in Syria since the conflict began, with a failure rate of 10-30%. This indicates that there could be between 100,000 and 300,000 unexploded devices still dispersed throughout the country. These hidden hazards are frequently found in residential zones, agricultural fields, beside roadways, and even close to schools – turning everyday environments into potential hazards.

The Human Cost 

Since the liberation of Syria in December 2024, thousands of lives have been directly and indirectly impacted by UXOs. Mustafa and his family, pictured above returned from displacement to their home in Khan Sheikhoun, hoping to rebuild their lives, but found themselves living in a tent alongside the remains of their family home.

Just one week after returning, while playing outside, his children found an unfamiliar object while playing in the field nearby. When the object exploded, three of Mustafa's children were injured, one fatally.

Across Syria, the scale of contamination is staggering. Around 15.4 million people – roughly 65% of the population – live in areas affected by explosive ordnance. Some of the hardest hit-regions include Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, and rural Damascus.

Between December 2025 and February 2026, 186 EO incidents resulted in 298 civilian casualties, including 112 fatalities and 186 injuries. Alarmingly, children account for roughly one in three casualties.

Behind these numbers are lives shaped by fear and uncertainty. Research conducted by Action For Humanity with Syrian civilians highlights how explosive ordnance contamination shapes their daily decisions and future plans:

“This fear hinders the education process and increase families’ suffering as many areas remain unsafe, forcing them to make difficult decisions to protect their children’s safety.” – Syrian civilian 2025,

“Displacement is the only way for families to protect their children from danger.” – Al Suwayda

resident, 2025 In rural areas, the risks are even greater. For many families farming is their primary source of income, yet returning to the land can be life-threatening. This slows local economic recovery and makes it harder for communities to rebuild.

EO contamination also impacts humanitarian efforts, making it difficult to safely deliver aid and delaying the return of essential services.

Strength in communities

Despite these challenges, Syrian communities continue to show resilience. Local awareness initiatives are growing, with local people sharing information about dangerous areas and helping each other stay safe. Groups like the Syrian Civil Defense (also known as the White Helmets) offer training for families on how to identify unexploded ordnance and the steps to take if they come across them.

However, while these grassroots efforts are vital, they cannot replace professional mine clearance. Many contaminated areas still require the expertise, tools, and technical capacity that only specialised teams can provide. Without this, families are forced to remain displaced.

AFH in Syria

Since 2011, AFH has supported Syrians through both emergency relief and long-term recovery. From food assistance to healthcare, education, and infrastructure, our work helps communities survive and begin rebuilding their lives. In February alone, we reached over 3,700 people with food parcels and provided over 12,400 medical consultations.

However, these efforts cannot reach their full impact without addressing the threat of explosive ordnance. This is why mine action must go hand in hand with humanitarian assistance.

Alongside our work on the ground, AFH also undertakes advocacy and communications efforts to ensure that policymakers in the UK and globally protect the rights of Syrian civilians. This includes calling for the UK Government to recognise explosive ordnance risk mitigation as a necessary foundation for recovery - and for it to be integrated as a mandatory component of all UK-supported reconstruction and agricultural programmes in Syria.

Looking ahead

Mine action is more than a technical process - it is a foundation for recovery. Clearing explosive hazards allows children to return to school, farmers to work their land, and families to rebuild their homes without fear.

On this International Day for Mine Awareness, the message is clear: making land safe is not just about removing explosives. It’s about restoring hope for communities striving to rebuild.