Syria

The fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 has enabled a shift to a country-wide approach to mine action coordination, with operators reporting improved access and cooperation. Clearance output increased in 2024, and operators have been expanding survey and clearance capacity in 2025 to reach new areas, but major challenges remain, including a surge in casualties, persistent funding shortfalls, the absence of a national contamination baseline, only nascent managerial capacity in the transitional government, and ongoing security risks.

• Syria should accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) as a matter of priority.

• Syria should urgently establish a baseline of cluster munition-contaminated area to enable effective prioritisation and planning, with particular focus on agricultural land due to its importance for food security and economic recovery, and the high number of victims.

• Syria should continue to strengthen coordination mechanisms and information management by promoting consistent, timely data sharing among all mine action operators and integrating the Northeast Syria Mine Action Centre (NESMAC) into a unified national system.

• Syria should develop national mine action standards (NMAS) in consultation with operators and ensure their application across all survey and clearance activities.

• Syria should systematically assess and address informal clearance practices by untrained civilians, which pose severe risks to life.

Click here to download the full "Clearing Cluster Munition Remnants 2025" report for Syria.