'Where war lingers long after the fighting stops: Children in a landscape of death and danger'

UNICEF/UNI275343/Al-Issa FILE PHOTO: Eight-year-old Rama uses a walker to traverse her neighborhood in east Aleppo, Syria, where the scars of war mark every building behind her. .

DAMASCUS, 14 January 2025 - "As hopes for a peace dividend for Syrian children grow, girls and boys in the country continue to suffer the brutal impact of unexploded ordnance (UXO) at an alarming rate.

"In December of last year alone, UNICEF received reports of 116 children killed or injured by UXO, an average of nearly four per day. This is believed to be an underestimate given the fluidity of the humanitarian situation on the ground.

"Over the past 9 years, at least 422,000 incidents involving UXO were reported in 14 Governorates across the country, with half estimated to have ended in tragic child casualties. Across Syria, children face this lurking, often invisible, and extremely deadly threat.

"Renewed displacement only worsens the danger. Since 27 November, over a quarter of a million children were forced to flee their homes due to escalating conflict. For these children, and those trying to return to their original areas, the peril of UXO is constant and unavoidable.

"As reconstruction efforts continue to be discussed, and the international community prepares to help Syria pave a new path for children, it is imperative that immediate investment takes place to ensure the ground is safe and clear of explosives.

"Over a decade of devastating conflict has left communities across Syria littered with deadly remnants of war, including an estimated 324,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance scattered across the country.

"This danger affects approximately 5 million children living in areas contaminated with UXO and landmines, which have become the leading cause of child casualties in Syria. Every step they take carries the risk of an unimaginable tragedy.

"One of them is what happened to 12-year-old Abdul, who I met in the outskirts of Hama. On 18 December, he was playing football with friends in a field behind his house when one of them stepped on something shiny on the ground.

"What followed was a blast that killed 15-year-old Mohamed, Abdul's cousin, and injured Abdul and his 10-year-old brother, who are now recovering from multiple fractures to their legs and arms. They can no longer walk without help. Both are deeply traumatized. Their stories are far too common.

"Abdul's mother cried when trying to recount the trauma and mentioned that yesterday another three children died after bringing a grenade into their homes, found in a playground, without knowing of the deadly impact it could have.

"Even if children survive these blasts, the struggle doesn't end. Life-changing injuries and disabilities often mean they cannot return to school or might find it harder to access proper healthcare. They face a new kind of war-against isolation, stigma, and limited opportunity.

"But there are things we can do today to make life just a little more bearable for these children:

"We must push for increased humanitarian demining efforts to remove the deadly remnants of war and make communities safe again. We need to expand mine-risk education so children can recognize and avoid UXO. And we must provide comprehensive support for survivors-including medical care, rehabilitation, and psychosocial services-so they can regain their dignity and rebuild their lives.

"We owe it to these children not just to listen, but to act. There is no hope for reconstruction in Syria when there is so much destruction still lying in wait on the ground. Syria cannot move past this horrific war if children remain at risk of walking outside their doors and being blown up by explosives.

"Every day without action is another that threatens the children of Syria. These children - who have lived their entire lives in danger - deserve to live the rest of their lives in safety."

"Thank you."

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