Syria

The conflict in Syria remains unresolved, with a fragile ceasefire in place, ongoing regional tensions, and the country still facing significant humanitarian and security challenges, including widespread landmine contamination. Syria recorded the highest number of mine casualties worldwide for the third year in a row. Despite the urgent need for mine action, efforts remain fragmented and underfunded, with declining financial support expected to reduce mine action capacity in 2024. Although a comprehensive nationwide survey of landmine contamination is lacking, subregional mapping efforts are ongoing. From June 2023 to January 2024, 3iSolution/iMMAP, in collaboration with a number of international partners, completed a contamination and impact survey in north-east Syria, identifying 749 hazardous areas covering over 38km² and containing different forms of explosive ordnance (EO). From August 2023 to July 2024, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) deployed two non-technical survey (NTS) teams covering more than 70km² and identified 90 hazardous areas containing EO. In 2023, three international operators conducted clearance of mined areas, with The HALO Trust (HALO) mechanically clearing an anti-personnel (AP) mined area for the first time in Syria.

• Syria should undertake never again to use AP mines and should accede to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) as a matter of priority.
• Syria should clear mines in areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, consonant with its obligations under international human rights law.
• Syria should undertake a baseline survey of AP mine contamination in areas it controls.
• Syria should formally establish a national mine action centre and national mine action authority.
• A centralised mine action information management database should be established. All mine action operators in Syria should ensure that survey and clearance data are recorded and safeguarded in a digital format in accordance with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS).

Click here to download the "Clearing the Mines 2024" report for Syria.