Protecting Syria's Children From Deadly Remnants of War
Over a decade of devastating conflict has left communities across Syria littered with explosive remnants of war, including an estimated 324,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance. Mohammed, 15, learned about the dangers at a UNICEF child-friendly space — knowledge he used to save his father's life.
BSEIMEH VILLAGE, SYRIA – “My father and I were cleaning my grandparents’ house when my father saw a strange object on the roof,” recalls 15-year-old Mohammed from Bseimeh, a village in Rural Damascus. “He wanted to throw it away, but I shouted and stopped him from touching it.” Empowered with knowledge and skills on explosive remnants of war, which he gained at a UNICEF-supported child-friendly space, Mohammed was proud to have saved his father’s life.
In 2015, like thousands of families across the country, Mohammed, his mother, Moyasar, and his father, Hasan, fled their village due to the conflict, resettling in a nearby town. “I used to hear the bombings in Bseimeh and see smoke rising over my village. It filled me with sadness,” Mohammed says.
After six years of displacement, the family returned in 2021 to find their home completely damaged. “We lost everything, but at least we were finally home,” he says. Slowly, they began to rebuild their lives, restoring their house piece by piece.
UNICEF-supported child-friendly spaces bring meaningful change
In 2022, as displaced families returned to Bseimeh, UNICEF set up a child-friendly space offering mental health and psychosocial support, along with awareness sessions on explosive remnants of war — an essential subject for children like Mohammed growing up in conflict-affected areas.
“I went to the center every day, and I loved it," Mohammed says. "All the sessions were useful, but the ones on explosive ordnance fascinated me the most. They helped me save my father’s life.”
Moyasar, Mohammed’s mother, also benefited from parenting skills sessions at the center. Like many mothers in her village, Moyasar was deeply concerned about her son’s safety. “I used to be so afraid that I once locked the door and hid the keys to keep him from going out,” she says. After participating in the sessions, she was able to build important life skills, including managing her emotions. “Not only did I start trusting my son more, but the parenting sessions gave me tools to communicate with him better."
“I missed the session on explosive remnants of war, but Mohammed brought home a brochure and explained everything." Moyasar continues. "He was like an expert. That’s when I realized he knew exactly how to respond in the event of a danger involving explosive remnants of war.”
Championing education on explosive ordnance
Mohammed not only saved his father’s life, he also shared his knowledge with his friends. “As I was hiking with my friends, we saw a strange object,” he recalls. “We marked the area with stones and a red T-shirt then went back to the village and informed the local authorities.”
The learning experience has shaped Mohammed's future aspirations. “I used to be afraid of explosive ordnance, but now I see it as a challenge that needs collective action,” he says. His dream is to become an officer specializing in demining. “Explosive remnants of war remain in the land for years, harming people — especially children — and animals. I want to protect them,” he says with determination.
In 2024, UNICEF provided lifesaving explosive ordnance risk education to more than 380,000 children and more than 68,000 adults in addition to providing parenting skills sessions to approximately 40,000 caregivers, helping families stay safe in conflict-affected areas in Syria.
This vital work was made possible through generous contributions from the governments of Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea and Norway, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through the KfW Development Bank, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA/USAID), the Global Humanitarian Thematic Fund and UNICEF National Committees for Australia, Germany, Japan and Ireland.
Learn more about UNICEF's impact for children in Syria.
This story was originally published on unicef.org
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