Syria

MAG has been operating in Syria since 2016 to make land safe for populations affected by years of conflict.

Landmines, cluster munitions, other unexploded bombs and improvised explosive devices have left a deadly legacy that kills and injures people, prevents communities from using their land and hampers displaced populations from returning home safely.

Syria is one of the world’s most conflict-affected countries and has witnessed extensive hostilities since the outbreak of civil war in 2011. Large parts of the country, including cities, have been devastated by explosive weapons.

The conflict has a daily impact on the vast majority of the population, with poor and marginalised communities worst affected. It has directly caused the displacement of an estimated two million IDPs, who still reside in over 1,500 camps and informal settlements across north-west Syria. In north-east Syria, over 25,800 people remain in 193 emergency collective centres, the majority of which are closed-down schools (as of December 2024). 

Since 8 December 2024, movements across borders showed that over 115,000 Syrians have returned to their country, and the number is increasing daily. Six border gates are now operational with a combined daily processing capacity of 19,000 individuals. As of 2 January 2025, over 522,000 people across Syria have returned to their areas of origin after a month of displacement. Some 627,000 people remain newly displaced. Insecurity and displacement led to disrupted agrarian livelihoods. According to the caretaker authorities, only 40 per cent of the usual wheat has been planted in parts of Syria this season.

Across Syria, some areas continue to report protection incidents affecting civilians, including cases of kidnapping, petty crime and shootings, causing movement restrictions. The number of incidents involving explosive ordnance has drastically increased in December 2024, rising by more than 300 per cent compared to November. Throughout the month, at least 64 civilians were killed, and more than 100 wounded, in more than 75 incidents involving unexploded ordnance (UXOs), landmines, or explosive remnants of war. 

Humanitarian efforts face significant risks, with 52 minefields identified across the country and UXO incidents causing civilian casualties. UXO remains a key risk to civilians and humanitarian actors moving to unfamiliar locations. Children constitute 25% of reported victims of explosive incidents across Syria, with many accidents occurring during play. 

Approximately 11.5 million Syrians across the country are at risk of explosive contamination, which impacts 146 sub-districts (54% of all sub-districts) across Syria. The widespread contamination has significantly reduced agricultural productivity in north-east Syria, worsening food insecurity in the region. 

This necessitates an urgent scale-up in explosive ordnance risk education and emergency clearance activities across Syria. 

The overall situation remains volatile. The presence of explosive contamination will lead to increased numbers of accidents among returning populations and will continue to prevent many others from returning to their homes, placing a strain on resources in other areas of the country. According to the Landmine Monitor, Syria had the second-highest number of casualties (933) in 2023, following Myanmar. In 2020, 2021, and 2022, Syria had the highest number of casualties.

MAG teams clear mined areas using manual methods and mechanical assets, enabling communities to use their land in safety, giving them greater food security and helping to alleviate poverty.

Land cleared by MAG in North-East 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. 

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, removing explosive remnants of war and making it safe for the process of rebuilding to begin.