This file measures the scale of contamination by the remnants of war in Syria after the end of combat operations, drawing on engineering-team statistics for the numbers of mines and unexploded ordnance cleared, and on the civilian casualty toll. It sets out what those figures reveal about a danger whose effect extends for decades after the guns fall silent, and about the gaps that hold back the response.
The Scale of Contamination
Thousands of mines and unexploded munitions are scattered across fields and rubble after conflicts end, and these remnants are not confined to former combat areas but extend to schools, farms and public roads. The consequence is that civilians, and in particular children and farmers who work the land daily, are exposed to grave risk in the course of their ordinary activity, not while approaching a front line.
What the Engineering-Team Figures Show
The engineering-team statistics give the clearest picture of the scale of the problem, with clearance and disposal work distributed across the following categories:
- Some 70,000 mines and items of unexploded ordnance dismantled, among them 35,000 anti-personnel mines and 20,500 anti-tank mines.
- 933 munitions and 15,000 devices, shells and aerial rockets removed.
- Losses within the teams themselves: 30 killed, around 60 wounded including 12 amputation cases, and 16 vehicles destroyed.
The Toll Among Civilians
The cost of these remnants extends beyond the clearance teams to civilians themselves: more than 300 civilians have been killed, among them more than 70 children, as a result of the remnants of war. The absence of accurate maps increases the risk of exposure when moving through contaminated areas, while damage to infrastructure makes it harder for civilians to reach safe ground, compounding the danger for anyone with no alternative route.
A Danger That Lasts for Decades
The effect of these remnants does not end when the conflict does: mines and unexploded ordnance remain active for long decades afterwards. Limited awareness among local residents leads to repeated incidents, while the shortage of precise information about where the remnants lie complicates the work of clearance teams and raises the risk of casualties within their ranks. The data gap itself thus becomes an additional risk factor.
Preventive Guidance
The established preventive guidance rests on three steps that anyone can follow on finding a suspicious object:
- Do not approach or touch any suspicious object or unfamiliar metal item.
- Place clear warning markers near the site to keep others away from it.
- Notify the competent authorities immediately to ensure safe disposal and protect lives.
Awareness as the First Line of Defence
These figures show that the remnants of war are not a trace of the past but a standing daily danger to the lives of civilians across wide areas. Community awareness and early reporting remain the first line of defence until survey and clearance work is complete. Yet the absence of accurate, published maps of contaminated locations remains the most prominent gap limiting the effect of any preventive effort, however broad.
