Rising explosive risks endanger children in Syria’s returnee areas – UNICEF
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – At least 813 explosive ordnance incidents have been recorded across Syria since December 2024, resulting in the deaths of 156 children and injuries to 383 others, the UNICEF announced on Monday.
The UNICEF said that these incidents—many involving landmines and unexploded remnants of war—remain one of the most significant risks facing children in both rural and urban communities.
In a new situation report, the agency highlighted a rise in returns over the past year. More than 1.9 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 1.2 million Syrian refugees have gone back to their places of origin or resettled elsewhere inside the country.
However, UNICEF warns that healthcare, education, water systems, and livelihood opportunities are increasingly overstretched and unable to absorb growing needs.
Despite the challenges, UNICEF and its partners said they have reached over 10 million people—52 percent of them children—since January 2025.
Assistance included health and nutrition services, education support, water and sanitation rehabilitation, child protection programs, and social protection initiatives.
Explosive remnants of war remain widespread in many Syrian regions more than a decade after active frontlines subsided. UN agencies have repeatedly reported that Syria is among the most heavily contaminated countries in the world, with children often the primary victims due to lack of awareness and the presence of ordnance in agricultural lands, abandoned homes, and informal settlements.
At the same time, increasing returns have intensified pressure on damaged infrastructure, particularly in areas where basic services have not been fully restored following years of conflict and limited reconstruction funding.