Landmines: The hidden danger injuring people returning home in Syria

Explosions are a daily occurrence 

“Since April 7, our teams working in the emergency room in Deir ez-Zor hospital have been seeing around one patient per day who has been wounded by explosions of landmines, unexploded ordnance, and booby traps,” says Will Edmond, MSF head of mission in Syria. “People have been injured mostly in the fields or on the road.” 

“Of the people who have arrived to our emergency room, nearly two-thirds have life-threatening or severe injuries, and nearly a quarter have traumatic amputations,” says Edmond. “Shockingly, two out of five of the people we’ve seen have been children.”

Years of armed conflict have destroyed critical infrastructure, including health care facilities, in Deir ez-Zor governorate. Streets and fields across the governorate are contaminated with mines and explosive devices, making daily life hazardous for returnees and hampering rehabilitation efforts. MSF teams have already discovered four unexploded devices in health facilities we had planned to support, with more likely hidden underground.

“I feel sad now because I can’t run anymore”

In Syria, Deir ez-Zor governorate has the highest number of recorded incidents with explosive remnants of war; in the five months before May 6, 2025, 26 percent of the 471 incidents recorded in the country occurred in Deir ez-Zor. 

Ahmad, a teenage boy from Hawaij, about 30 miles southeast of Deir ez-Zor city, lost his right leg and part of his left foot while herding sheep in the desert. 

“I feel sad now because I can’t run anymore,” says Ahmad. “But I like playing marbles and riding a motorcycle.” 

“He is not the only one from Hawaij,” says Ahmad’s mother, Umm Mohammad. “The same thing happened to one of his friends, and to other people in the village.”

Between December 8, 2024, and May 14, 2025, 91 children were killed and 289 injured by explosive ordnance across the country, according to Mine Action Area of Responsibility. Many of these tragic cases involve children who come across mines while collecting truffles, herding sheep, or playing in contaminated areas.

Long distances and high transportation costs impede access to care

Ali Abd Khalaf, a former wheat farmer, also stepped on a landmine near Az-Zabari, close to Al-Mayadin. 

“Two months ago, I was traveling with my brother on our motorcycle,” says Ali. “We decided to stop along the way, so I stepped off the motorcycle, took just a few steps, and the explosion happened. I stepped on a landmine.” 

Ali received initial care in a private clinic and was later transported to Deir ez-Zor National Hospital, where he underwent two surgeries and had his left leg amputated above the ankle.

Patients have reported severe challenges in accessing health care. Most are forced to rely on expensive private transportation due to an overstretched ambulance network; as a result, many patients from remote towns do not return for follow-up care. Others speak of the high cost of private care. 

“We hurried Ali to a private clinic in Al-Mayadin, where we were required to pay an upfront fee of $80 to initiate his treatment,” says one of Ali Abd Khalaf’s relatives. “Though it was a considerable amount, we paid it. Afterwards, we swiftly moved him to the hospital in Deir ez-Zor, where he received comprehensive medical care, free of charge.”

Mine removal must be a top priority for Syria’s recovery

Urgent funding is needed to support mine action organizations, to scale-up explosive device and landmine clearance, and improve mapping of contaminated areas. This is essential for people to safely return, rebuild their lives, and recover from conflict.

We also urge the government of Syria, donors, and medical organizations to bolster emergency care capacity, referral systems, and blood banks. Supporting physical rehabilitation, mental health, and psychosocial services is crucial for helping survivors recover as fully as possible.

MSF in Syria

Since the fall of the previous Syrian government in December 2024, MSF has been able to gain access to new areas, including Deir ez-Zor governorate where we support public health facilities. In Deir ez-Zor city, MSF is supporting the emergency department of Deir ez-Zor National Hospital. In Al-Bukamal, MSF has opened an emergency room in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and is planning obstetric and newborn care services, while rehabilitating a medium-size hospital that will offer additional services.