Children in Syria remain at deadly risk from explosive remnants of war

Damascus, 4 April 2026 – While active hostilities in Syria have subsided, the threat to children’s lives has not. Across the country, explosive remnants of war (ERW) continue to endanger children every day.

On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, UNICEF warns that these hidden hazards are claiming young lives and causing life-altering injuries, and calls for urgent, sustained investment across all pillars of mine action, including clearance, victim assistance, and explosive ordnance risk education (EORE), as a critical foundation for recovery and long-term stability.

Since December 2024, at least 1,891 civilian casualties have been recorded, including 698 people killed and 1,193 injured. Children continue to be disproportionately affected, accounting for 30 per cent of those killed and 40 per cent of those injured between December 2024 and February 2026. These figures are likely underreported.

Today, an estimated 5 million children live in areas contaminated with landmines and explosive remnants of war. Across roads, fields, homes and schools, an estimated 324,000 explosive remnants of war remain scattered, posing a constant and largely invisible threat to children’s safety.

The risks are increasing as families return to their communities. More than 3 million displaced people have returned to areas heavily affected by conflict, often without clear information on contamination. Children are particularly vulnerable as they resume daily activities, play outdoors and navigate unfamiliar or damaged environments.

UNICEF, as the lead agency for explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) within the Mine Action Area of Responsibility’s, works with 38 partners across clearance, victim assistance, advocacy and risk education. In 2025 alone, UNICEF and its partners reached around 850,000 children and caregivers with life-saving messages and trained close to 400 professionals. UNICEF also supported the development of a national EORE framework integrated into training curricula in partnership with the Ministry of Education.

For children who survive a blast, the consequences ripple across every area of their lives: physical injury where half of the primary healthcare system in Syria remains non-functional; psychological trauma in a country where 1 in 3 households reports children showing signs of distress; school exclusion where over 2.45 million children are already out of school; and deeper family poverty where 9 in 10 Syrians already live below the poverty line.

On International Mine Awareness Day, UNICEF calls on the Syrian Government, donors, and the international community to:

• Scale up EORE across schools, displacement sites, and community centres and ensure sustained funding.
• Accelerate clearance of contaminated areas and critical infrastructure, including homes, schools and essential services, to enable safe, voluntary and dignified returns.
• Support survivors with medical care, rehabilitation, psychosocial support, and economic reintegration for the long term.

Sustainable peace cannot be achieved in an environment that remains unsafe. UNICEF urges the world to invest in clearing the path forward for the children of Syria, and for the country they deserve to inherit.