Syria

A ceasefire agreement brokered in March 2020 between Türkiye and Russia, which support opposing sides in the Syrian conflict, has brought a tenuous calm to the country. But Syria registered, for the second year in a row, the highest number of mine casualties worldwide. Despite the urgent need for mine action, efforts remain fragmented and underfunded with financial support to the sector dropping for the fourth consecutive year. Only one operator, Mines Advisory Group (MAG), which is working in the north-east of Syria, was able to report land release through technical survey (TS) and area clearance in 2022. The HALO Trust (HALO), which operates in the north-west, received permission to carry out non-technical survey (NTS) in Idlib governorate and in the west of Aleppo governorate, as well as a long-awaited authorisation to carry out explosive ordnance disposal (EOD). In government-controlled territory, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) received operational accreditation in early 2023.

• Syria should undertake never again to use anti-personnel (AP) mines and 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 2023" report for Syria.