Landmines and explosive devices, left behind by terrorists, continue to threaten the Syrians’ lives

Syria has stressed that the international support for the efforts aiming at defusing and clearing mines and explosive devices should be based on the rules of the international law and on coordination with the national authorities in charge.

During the 19th meeting of  the countries member in the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva Hussam Eddin Ala said ” the issue of the mines and explosive devices and ammunitions is a main source of threat to the lives of millions of people, particularly children and women in many countries of the world. It is also a main cause of undermining people’s livelihoods, hampering development and stability and hindering the return of the displaced.”

He added that despite the national efforts  exerted to confront the multi-dimensional dangers and challenges created by mines and explosive devices, the achievement of real progress in this regard needs strong international support and necessitates facilitating the access of affected countries’ to the financial resources and the technology necessary for landmines clearing away from politicization or double standards.

Ala made it clear that “the Syrian Arab Republic has suffered from the impacts of the terrorist war that has been targeting the country since 2011 and the use of mines and improvised explosive devices by the terrorist organizations, such as ISIS and Jabhat Al-Nusra and Hayet Tahrir Al-Sham, has caused a big human suffering. Nevertheless, despite success in liberating most of the Syrian territories from terrorists, the danger of the mines and explosive ammunition and devices, left behind by terrorist organizations in different Syrian areas, continue to daily threaten the Syrians’ lives, prevent them from seeking their livelihoods and impede the return of the displaced citizens to their original areas.”

According to Ala, the issue of clearing mines and explosive devices is a priority for Syria in order to protect the Syrian citizens, guarantee the safe return of the displaced and confront the humanitarian, social and economic impacts of these dangerous tools.

He clarified that Syria signed a memorandum of understanding with United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in 2018 and drew up a work plan that starts with disseminating the awareness of the citizens in the targeted areas and then clearing these areas from mines and providing assistance to the victims.

Ala pointed out that the Western countries’ insistence on maintaining and expanding the unilateral coercive measures imposed on the Syrian people, in addition to the lack of financial and technological support for Syria’s demining activities undermine the possibility of securing the requirements and the logistical materials necessary for this operation.   “This increases the number of victims and impedes early recovery and the return of the refugees and the displaced persons to their homes,” he said.

 He clarified that the illegal presence of foreign forces in some parts of Syria, the use of mines and explosive devices by terrorist groups in the areas under their control, in addition to the continuous Israeli occupation of the Syrian Golan are all obstacles facing the comprehensive response to identifying and clearing up all the mine-affected areas in the country.

Hamda Mustafa