Syria: More than 100 children killed and injured in one month due to unexploded ordnance

This is what UNICEF Communications Director Ricardo Perez said from the Syrian capital, Damascus, via video call during a press conference at the United Nations office in Geneva.

Perez noted that at least 422,000 incidents involving unexploded ordnance have been reported over the past nine years, half of which he estimates have ended in catastrophic injuries among children. He said that children across the country are facing “This latent, often invisible, and extremely deadly threat,” He stressed that renewed displacement only exacerbates this danger, as more than a quarter of a million children have been forced to flee their homes due to the escalation of the conflict since November 27.

He added: “As reconstruction efforts continue to be debated, and the international community prepares to help Syria pave a new path for children, it is essential that immediate investment is made to ensure the ground is safe and free of explosives.”

Peres told journalists the story of a boy he met yesterday in Hama named Abdo, who is twelve years old. He said that the child and his younger brother suffered life-changing injuries while playing football in an empty field when their cousin Muhammad stepped on “something shiny” He was killed in the explosion.

He stressed that the story of these children has become very common. As a result of the brutal conflict in Syria, there are still an estimated 324,000 unexploded ordnances scattered across the country – the leading cause of child casualties – while around five million children live in high-risk areas.

The UNICEF Communications Director called for increased humanitarian mine clearance and expanded mine risk education so that children can recognize and avoid unexploded ordnance. He highlighted the need to provide comprehensive support to survivors – including medical care, rehabilitation and psychosocial services – “So they can regain their dignity and rebuild their lives.”

And he said: “We owe it to these children not only to listen, but to act. There is no hope for reconstruction in Syria with so much destruction still waiting for us on the ground. Syria cannot survive this horrific war if children continue to be at risk of walking outside the doors of Their homes were being bombed.

Mr. Peres said that every day without work is another day that threatens the children of Syria. “Who have lived their whole lives in danger and deserve to live the rest of their lives in safety.”