18 March 2026, London: On the 15th anniversary of the Syrian Revolution marking the beginning of nationwide protests against former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in 2011, more than 15 million Syrians still face the daily threat of landmines and deadly unexploded ordnance, with at least 1,900 casualties and around 700 deaths reported since December 2024.
The devastating humanitarian impact of explosive contamination across Syria, including missiles, bombs, rockets and artillery, was highlighted in compelling evidence delivered during a session of the International Development Committee (IDC) by Andrew Moore, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at The HALO Trust.
“We face a huge challenge with both landmine clearance, including IEDs, and unexploded ordnance. The scale is enormous. People are being killed and injured every day,” he warned MPs.
“There are minefields across the country, particularly along the former frontlines in the northwest of the country where there is huge contamination. Just around one village near the town of Saraqib I counted seven or eight exploded tractors where farmers had tried to cultivate their land. Unexploded ordnance exists right across the country as well, from hand grenades and artillery rounds to mortars and bombs that haven’t exploded as intended, and they're particularly devastating in towns, villages, and cities.
“In the northwest alone, we need to survey more than 400 square kilometres which is a huge task in itself - we are now using drones and are looking to use artificial intelligence to help refine the survey before we actually put boots on the ground.”
The number of people on the move has intensified since the end of the 12-year civil war, with most unaware of the dangers that lie silently in wait in crop fields, hidden in houses or strewn along roadsides. An estimated 1.5 million have already returned to the heavily contaminated governates of Damascus, Aleppo, Idlib, Homs and Rural Damascus, while approximately seven million remain internally displaced.
Moore reported that children are particularly vulnerable to the risk of explosive remnants of war, making up 40 per cent of injuries and more than 30 per cent of fatalities. Many accidents occur when children forage for scrap metal to sell or help their families to herd animals or plant crops. More than 8,000 schools are also severely damaged or destroyed, with many more located in hazardous areas, making it impossible for children to even walk to school safely or attend classes.
To address the scale of the issue, Moore urged the UK Government to urgently grant more multi-year funding support for humanitarian mine action, highlighting Britain’s leadership through the Global Mine Action Programme (GMAP).
“There’s just not enough money at the moment, and the funding that we have received has not necessarily allowed us to act strategically. Most is short-term so we can’t really plan. ...It would be ideal if we had multi-year funding so that we could talk to donors jointly about where the priorities and needs lie,” he said.
Moore also stressed the need to strengthen the Syrian National Mine Action Centre, which currently has just seven staff members to coordinate the entire national response. He said that more sustained international financing is critical to expand its capacity and boost Syria’s long-term recovery.
Notes to Editors:
- HALO has operations across seven governorates in Syria including Idlib, Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Daara, Damascus and Homs, clearing rural areas of landmines and surveying explosive hazards in urban areas and providing risk education classes to families and children.
- To date, HALO teams have destroyed more than 17,000 items of explosive ordnance, benefiting nearly 250,000 people, with roughly half of these items cleared since December 2024. The organisation has also delivered explosive ordnance risk education to over 700,000 people and expanded its operations in Syria from 40 to 250 staff, 96 per cent of whom are Syrian nationals.
- Syria is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for UXO accidents, according to the Landmine Monitor 2025.
- HALO Syria is supported by Irish Aid, UNOCHA - Syria Cross Border Humanitarian Fund, The German Federal Foreign Office, The Government of Norway, The Government of Canada, United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Mine Action Service.
- The HALO Trust is the world’s largest humanitarian landmine clearance organisation, employing 9,000 staff and working in 30+ countries including Ukraine, Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria.
- We deploy groundbreaking technology in conflict and post-conflict settings to help people rebuild their homes, restore their livelihoods and keep their children safe.
- Learn more about HALO's work