Syria will soon launch its first map showing the distribution of mines across the country as part of a three-year strategy to address landmines and remnants of war, Emergency and Disaster Management Minister Raed al Saleh said on Monday.
“The National Mine Action Center is implementing the strategy to identify mine-contaminated areas and strengthen efforts to address the threat,” al Saleh said in comments carried by the ISNA news agency.
Mines and unexploded remnants of war remain among Syria’s most serious challenges because of their impact on civilians and children, as well as the obstacles they pose to reconstruction and the use of agricultural land, he said.
Al Saleh said his ministry continued to develop mine-clearance plans despite existing challenges, aiming to protect civilians and enable residents to use their farmland safely.
Syria is also working with Germany and Ukraine to exchange expertise and benefit from advanced demining technologies, he added.
Joint operations room with Türkiye
Separately, al Saleh said the ministry was working to establish a joint operations room with Türkiye to coordinate emergency response and disaster management on both sides of the border.
The mechanism is intended to speed up coordination and responses to fires, floods and other disasters, he said.
Syrian authorities regularly report deaths and injuries caused by explosions involving remnants of the war waged by the Bashar al Assad regime against civilians between 2011 and 2024.
The conflict killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people and caused widespread infrastructure damage before opposition fighters entered Damascus on December 8, 2024, bringing down the Assad regime.
Syrian authorities and international organisations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, continue operations in several parts of the country to detect mines and unexploded ordnance left by the war.
According to Landmine Monitor data, unexploded ordnance in Syria has killed or injured more than 13,000 people since 2011.
