The UXO Threat: Syria’s Hidden War Against Landmines and Explosives
- Issue 12
Since Bashar al-Assad’s fall on 8 December 2024, Syria’s transition has faced a daunting mix of internal and external challenges: economic collapse, sanctions, destroyed infrastructure, sectarian tensions, political divisions, terrorism, and regional pressures. These obstacles will take years to overcome, but with steady governance and international support, gradual progress is possible.
One underreported challenge threatening local recovery is unexploded ordnance (UXO). Post-war environments often face landmines, cluster munitions, and other unexploded air- or ground-delivered munitions, but Syria’s contamination is believed to be unprecedented—far exceeding levels seen elsewhere.
According to data collected by Syria Weekly and analyzed by Syria in Figures, the country witnessed about 650 UXO incidents in the first nine months of 2025, causing more than 570 deaths and 850 injuries. The true toll is likely higher, given poor local reporting and the rural nature of the problem. Incidents have surged since Assad’s fall, as returnees and farmers reenter long-abandoned lands. The Syrian Network for Human Rights reports 3,471 people were killed by UXO between 2011 and 2024—an annual average of 267—meaning 2025 deaths are on track to nearly triple that rate.
Heatmap of UXO casualties, Dec 2024–Sep 2025
For context, Handicap International’s Landmine Monitor recorded 5,757 UXO casualties—killed and injured—across 55 countries in 2023. At current levels, Syria’s 2025 incidents could make up more than a third of that global total. The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) has called Syria “the greatest humanitarian impact of landmines and unexploded ordnance anywhere in the world.” Another global UXO-focused organization privately told Syria in Figures it would take 25–40 years of full-time work to resolve Syria’s contamination with current resources.
According to 2025 Syria Weekly data, the worst-affected areas are the northwest, Daraa, rural Homs, and Deir Ezzor’s Euphrates River corridor. After months of intensive demining work, Ministry of Defense teams estimate 350,000 landmines remain around Palmyra (25,000 cleared by late August 2025), and 316,000 in Deir Ezzor (32,000 cleared by early September 2025). For comparison, the Carter Center notes it took 23 years to clear 86,000 landmines in Mozambique, and four years to clear 11,540 in Iraq.
The UXO threat hinders rural recovery and access to basic services such as education, healthcare, and staple goods. The hardest-hit areas are sparsely populated, agricultural, or villages depopulated and destroyed during the war. As communities return, they face landscapes riddled with UXO, undermining rebuilding and resettlement. Poverty drives many to ignore safety warnings in search of livelihoods—from farming to scavenging scrap metal. Some even attempt rudimentary demining, at great risk.
- This calculation does not take into account the three major spates of sectarian violence that struck Syria in mid-March, early-May and mid-July, 2025.
- The UN currently has an ongoing initiative to support mine action in Syria. See: UN Info, “Cooperation Framework Activity Report.”
Children are heavily impacted, making up at least 33% of all casualties, according to Syria Weekly. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) similarly estimates that up to 40% of 2025 Syrian UXO casualties were children.
Beyond blocking recovery, the UXO threat is worsening Syria’s healthcare crisis, producing hundreds of severe casualties needing long-term care, physical therapy, and psychosocial support. Healthcare workers report nearly 66% of casualties suffer life-threatening or serious injuries, and about 25% require amputations.
To confront the UXO threat, the transitional government and NGOs have intensified public awareness campaigns. These may be working: UXO incidents have gradually declined, with deaths falling from 32% of the national total in Q1 2025 to 16% in Q3.1The slowdown may also reflect fewer displaced people returning compared to the rush after Assad’s fall in late 2024.
Public awareness helps reduce incidents, but tackling the wider UXO challenge requires major effort, combining limited domestic resources with international support.
For the transitional government, coordination with the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) must be prioritized.2Partnerships with NGOs such as MAG International and the HALO Trust should follow, with all granted nationwide registration, clearance, and access without delay.
To coordinate with international efforts, Syria’s government must create a single national entity to manage UXO response, pooling resources now split among the Ministries of Defense, Interior, and Emergency and Disaster Response (including Civil Defense). Planning is underway and was the subject of discussions with HALO Trust CEO James Cowan in Damascus on 13 September. This body should lead nationwide UXO surveys and mapping, made publicly accessible—ideally via a mobile app. Early phases should prioritize areas most likely to see returnees, farmers, or other civilians.
Alongside awareness campaigns, authorities should create a nationwide network under the mine-response body. At municipal, district, and governorate levels, it would collect UXO data, liaise with communities, coordinate demining, and maintain contact with schools to provide children with consistent UXO education.
In an interview with Syria in Figures, Minister for Emergency and Disaster Response Raed al-Saleh said the government has begun localized surveys, launched awareness campaigns for children and the broader public, and is establishing a “National Mine Center.” The new entity will “develop and implement strategies to remove remnants of war and landmines, and work in coordination with local authorities and international organizations” to protect civilians and stabilize Syria. Al-Saleh stressed the urgent need for international support, including “sustainable financial and technical support,” “modern technology and equipment,” “training and capacity building,” and “victim assistance programs.”
Internationally, the UN and donor states must recognize the strategic significance of Syria’s UXO challenge and its impact on recovery. Greater funding is needed for domestic training, capacity-building, and expanded demining. The UN should develop a strategic plan with the proposed national entity to ensure a sustainable, multi-year effort. Donor support should also strengthen Syria’s health sector to meet the long-term needs of UXO victims.