Statement by Mr. Yacoub El Hillo, the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria and Mr. Kevin Kennedy, the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Crisis in Syria, on the International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action [EN/AR]
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Damascus and Amman, 4 April 2016
Today, the United Nations marks the International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. This year’s theme is ‘Mine Action is Humanitarian Action’ in recognition of mine action as a vital enabler for humanitarian response, the protection of civilians, freedom of movement for communities and humanitarian personnel, and as a prerequisite to reconstruction and development in conflict and post-conflict settings.
Armed conflicts around the world are increasingly being fought in urban population centres, creating a legacy of explosive hazards and exposing civilians to greater risk of death, injury, and displacement. Syria is no exception to this trend. The United Nations estimates that 6.6 million people are internally displaced in Syria and 13.5 million are in need of humanitarian assistance, while explosive hazard contamination challenges both humanitarian response efforts and the country’s future recovery.
Of particular concern to the United Nations is the use of booby traps specifically targeting returning populations by ISIL, cluster munitions, as well as the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
"The majority of people killed or injured by the use of explosive weapons are civilians,” said Kevin Kennedy, the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis. “In addition to the deaths and injuries these weapons cause, their use in populated areas devastates the infrastructure vital for civilians’ survival. Schools, hospitals and agricultural land go unused until clearance teams can reach them. This has ripple effects, from food insecurity to the malfunctioning of healthcare facilities to the spread of diseases.”
In addition to providing risk education in affected communities, the United Nations and its partners have begun training Syrians in non-explosive methods to destroy cluster munitions, in particular from agricultural land, returning it to farmers for productive use.
“Today, we salute the Syrians who are undertaking this life-saving work and demand that all parties to the conflict uphold their responsibility to protect civilians and provide unhindered access for humanitarian mine action activities,” Yacoub El Hillo, the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, added. “We continue to call for all parties to the conflict to stop the use of explosive weapons in civilian populated areas.”
For further information, please contact:
David Swanson,OCHA Public Information Officer, swanson@un.org Tel: +962 (0) 791 417 882 Linda Tom, OCHA Public Information Officer, toml@un.org Tel: +963 958 880 095 OCHA press releases are available at www.unocha.org or www.reliefweb.int