Syria

MAG has been working in Syria since 2016 and is the largest and most experienced mine action actor in the country. MAG is responding at scale across Syria through land clearance and risk education interventions.

The eruption of conflict in March 2011 forced millions of Syrian families to flee their homes, with more than 14 million people in total leaving home to seek safety over the course of the war. 

Following the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024, communities that are desperate to return home and resume their lives are now facing a new threat - the presence of large numbers of hidden landmines and other explosive weapons leftover from the war. 

The movement of people, both those internally displaced and refugees from neighbouring countries, has seen a dramatic increase in reported casualties caused by landmines and other explosive items. Desperately needed humanitarian access has also been further constrained by their presence.

MAG teams clear landmines and explosive weapons, enabling communities to use their land in safety, giving them greater food security and helping to alleviate poverty.

MAG is also at the forefront of efforts to keep affected communities safe by delivering life-saving risk education which helps people identify and avoid dangerous situations. 

In populated areas, our teams are working through the rubble of damaged or destroyed houses and other civilian infrastructure, removing landmines and other explosive weapons to make it safe for the process of rebuilding to begin.

Land cleared by MAG in Syria enables the safe return of displaced people and has enabled the restoration of essential infrastructure, such as water supplies and roads, and has made schools, homes and agricultural land safe.