Civil Defense: The threat of mines and unexploded ordnance threatens millions of civilians in Syria
Yesterday, Sunday, the Syrian Civil Defense “White Helmets” confirmed, in a statement issued on the occasion of the “International Day for Mine Awareness,” that millions of civilians in Syria live in areas affected by mines and unexploded ordnance as a result of years of bombing by the Assad regime and Russia.
The Civil Defense stressed the danger of these materials, which threatens millions of civilians in Syria, and that its efforts are focused on dealing with this painful reality and preserving the lives of civilians, by removing these munitions and educating civilians about their danger.
The statement stated that mine action and the removal of unexploded ordnance is an investment in humanity, as it helps in caring for and revitalizing communities, enabling internally displaced persons to return to their homes, and children from safely reaching their schools and places of play.
The Civil Defense indicated that its teams have so far removed more than 22,000 unexploded ordnance, including 20,000 cluster bombs.
The statement concluded: “We hope that the awareness provided by our teams will be useful, and that the number of sessions since the beginning of last year has exceeded 40 thousand sessions, in order to raise awareness of the dangers posed by landmines and unexploded ordnance, and we commit again to our desired goals in protecting civilians and achieving peace for them.” .
The Syrian Network for Human Rights had announced in a previous report that Syria was among the worst countries in the world in terms of the amount of mines planted since 2011, despite the international law banning their use, noting that mines have killed at least 2,601 civilians in Syria since 2011. , Including 598 children and 267 women.
