MEDIA ADVISORY
Damascus, 4 April 2026 – The United Nations in Syria released a new documentary, “No More Mines in Syria: Towards Safer Communities and a Future Without Explosive Threats,” showing how clearing explosive hazards is helping people rebuild their lives, from farming their land and reopening businesses to sending children back to school.
WHAT
The United Nations country team in Syria, in partnership with national stakeholders and entities across the United Nations system, launched a documentary that shares stories from communities affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance. The film shows how mine clearance and risk education make land usable again, reconnect communities to services, and unlock opportunities for recovery and growth.
How to watch:
- United Nations YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/vS0ESzgC3lk
- United Nations WebTV: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1z/k1zicm3fgm
WHY
Across Syria, land contaminated by explosive ordnance still shapes daily life. Fields cannot be safely farmed. Roads remain dangerous. Schools, clinics, and water systems cannot be repaired or reopened until the surrounding areas are cleared.
This documentary focuses on what happens when land becomes safe again:
Families can return home and move safely around their neighbourhoods.
Farmers can cultivate their land, produce food, and earn a living.
Communities can restore schools, health centres, water networks, and local markets.
Small businesses can reopen, creating jobs and local income.
At a time when millions of Syrians are rebuilding their lives after years of conflict and displacement, safe land is not a technical detail; it is the starting point for recovery, investment, and long-term development.
The film shows how mine action is not only about removing deadly devices, but about restoring choice, dignity and opportunity for people.
Facts and Context:
In Syria, since December 2024, more than 1,000 explosive ordnance incidents have reportedly caused over 2,000 casualties (UNMAS).
Children face disproportionate risk, accounting for nearly one-third of recorded explosive ordnance casualties since December 2024; in 2024, 241 children were killed or maimed by explosive ordnance (OCHA).
Mine clearance enables safer cultivation and restores food production, supporting more than 13.4 million food-insecure people (FAO).
It also enables safer rehabilitation and restoration of schools and hospitals. Currently, over 32 per cent of schools are damaged or non-operational, and only 59 per cent of hospitals and 31 per cent of primary healthcare centres are fully functional (UNICEF, WHO).
Syria faces $216 billion in reconstruction needs; large-scale investment cannot proceed where land and infrastructure remain unsafe (World Bank).
WHO
The documentary is launched under the leadership of the United Nations Resident Coordinatorad interim and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Nathalie Fustier.
She says, “Syria’s recovery cannot scale on unsafe ground. Mine action is more than lifesaving. It is a pre-requisite and key enabler for humanitarian response, early recovery, reconstruction and development.”
Media contact:
- Mr. Khalid Al Masri, Communications Officer, United Nations Resident Coordinator Office in Syria
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