DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – Every spring, like other shepherds, Hassan accompanies his cattle to the desert to graze, where the grass grows after rainfalls, but things have changed since Syria war erupted.
Hassan al-Raayan, 56, a resident of al-Hariji north of Deir ez-Zor, who owns 370 heads of sheep, said that he can no longer take his livestock to the desert to graze for fear of mines and other remnants of war.
The Syrian Desert and Deir ez-Zor countryside are littered with landmines, most of which date back to the period of Islamic State (ISIS), and these mines have so far claimed life of thousands of victims during the 11-year-old Syrian war.
Livestock breeders in Deir ez-Zor and its countryside are forced to buy fodder to feed their herds for fear of mines scattered in the desert where they used to send their livestock to graze.
In his attempt to get rid of the high costs of fodder, al-Raayan sent his son to the desert to graze the sheep, where a landmine exploded causing his son to have his leg amputated.
“My son lost his leg and 60 sheep died, all because I tried to save some money and not to buy the fodder,” he lamented.
Since early 2023, landmines and war remnants have harmed 331 people, 127 of which were killed or injured in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, the last stronghold of ISIS, according to the Monitoring and Documentation Department of North Press.
Most livestock lords in Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa sold most of their herds due to their inability to secure the expensive fodder.
“After my son’s leg was amputated, and due to the fodder’s high price, I sold most of my herds – only 150 out of 370 sheep were left – I will not buy any until all landmines are removed,” the shepherd said.
The man appeals to concerned authorities and humanitarian organizations to remove war remnants, which are widely spread in the desert and claim the life of civilians, including sheep herders and truffle hunters as well as livestock.
The number of landmines, explosive devices, and unexploded ordnance throughout Syria has reached 6,632, while the number of ground munitions reached 60,000, the number of cluster munitions reached 1,658, and the air-launched munitions reached 364,000, according to reports.
Hassoun al-Dagher, a resident of the town of al-Shaafah east of Deir ez-Zor, said he lost one of his brothers while working in the desert at the beginning of this year.
Al-Dagher with his brothers work as truffle hunters, each one makes about 200,000 Syrian Pounds (SYP, equals $20) per month, but a landmine left over by ISIS exploded while two of his brothers were working, as a result one was killed while the other was wounded.
The man transferred his two brothers to a field hospital in the town, and there one of them lost his life, while the other had his feet amputated. Nevertheless, “al-Dagher” is still working in collecting truffles despite the danger of working with them, but he says he is “careful.”
He also appeals to the international community amid the complete inability on the part of the population, the government, and the local organizations present in the region to find an immediate and quick solution to get rid of mines, which pose a great threat to residents residing in areas close to the desert, truffle workers, sheep herders, and passers-by.
Between 2013 and 2022, 16,301 people lost their lives in mine explosions, according to Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor that pointed out that Syria has headed the list of the largest number of victims of war remnants.
In spring of each year, residents of Deir ez-Zor and its countryside used to go hiking into the desert, but after the war everything has changed.
Since the beginning of the Syrian war in 2011, all parties to the conflict have worked on planting IEDs and mines in their-held areas to protect themselves of foes’ attacks, ignoring their impacts.
Due to mines’ casualties reported every day and for fear of facing the same fate, Qais al-Subhi, who is from the town of Jadeed Ekedat in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, stopped from hiking in the desert with his family.
Al-Subhi calls on concerned authorities to remove those mines that have been claiming, for years, the life of civilians.
In turn, Ali al-Zayed, a resident of the city of Diban in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, appeals to the international community and organizations to solve the issue and remove mines and war remnants from the desert.
Landmines and explosive devices endanger the safety of civilians, especially children, as they do not know how to deal with them.
Al-Zayed said that a mine explosion killed his younger brother while collecting firewood from the town’s desert to support his family.