Many Syrians who dream of returning to their homeland are met with a devastating reality: landmines and unexploded ordnance threaten their lives and livelihoods. Families like Ayghad's are mourning lost loved ones and struggling to regain their farms, burdened by the dangers of contamination and the absence of effective landmine clearance efforts.
The Silent Threat: Syrians Return Home to Landmines and Loss
The Silent Threat: Syrians Return Home to Landmines and Loss
As the conflict recedes, returning Syrians face the peril of landmines left behind, leading to tragic losses and economic despair.
In Idlib province, as the Syrian civil war recedes, a dangerous legacy remains: landmines. Ayghad is a heart-wrenching testament to this new reality. Displaced by violence, he envisioned returning to the olive groves that had defined his family's life. Tragically, this dream turned into despair when his father, who insisted on a risky route home, lost his life to a landmine. Their once-thriving farm is now an unrecognizable minefield, void of any sustenance or safety.
According to the Halo Trust, at least 144 people, including 27 children, have been killed by these hidden threats since the regime's fall last December. The Syria Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, has documented that many victims are farmers attempting to return and restore their livelihoods to the dangerous lands they once worked.
The remnants of war force a grim reality on returnees; unexploded ordnance (UXOs) and landmines dominate the landscape. White Helmets leader Hassan Talfah highlights the dangers of UXOs, which are easier to spot and clear, compared to the hundreds of thousands of landmines laid primarily on farmlands. Most fatalities have occurred on battlefront lines, leading to the displacement of already vulnerable populations.
Among the peril, local farmers like Mohammed express their frustration. Returning to fields they once cultivated brings only desolation. The fields are barren, stripped of life and potential, leaving economies in shambles due to the inability to farm safely. The White Helmets have only cordoned off a small fraction of minefields, with poorly coordinated efforts across organizations further complicating the situation. An estimated million devices await destruction to ensure safety.
A silver lining is emerging: documents left behind by defeated government forces may aid local authorities. These maps depict mine locations, offering a crucial step toward addressing the contamination. International cooperation and funding could enhance local capabilities. Despite these challenges, Talfah, intimately familiar with the risks, remains devoted to his mission. Having lost his leg to a cluster bomb, he is driven to ensure no one else suffers the same fate.
The stark reality remains: as efforts to clear mines fall short and coordination is lacking, the lives of returning civilians—particularly children—hang perilously in the balance.
