Clearing the path to stability
Addressing Explosive Remnants of War in Syria
On January 22nd, The HALO Trust (USA) and the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) co-hosted a webinar highlighting the humanitarian catastrophe caused by landmines in Syria.
Syrian refugees, internally displaced people, and civilians across the country have faced the threat of landmines and unexploded ordnance for over a decade. Now, thousands of families are returning to find their homes and communities littered with explosive hazards, creating a humanitarian emergency. HALO has already recorded 287 civilian casualties from landmines since the fall of the Assad regime in December of 2024 – including 98 children. In addition to the humanitarian need, demining is critical to Syrian stability and democratization, as landmines prohibit infrastructure development, return of civilians to their homes and livelihoods, and recovery from conflict at all levels.
At the webinar, Representative Chrissy Houlahan, a Co-Chair of the UXO/Demining Caucus and a champion for humanitarian demining in Congress, gave moving remarks about the pressing humanitarian needs in Syria and how demining is critical for post-conflict recovery.
HALO and MAG are the world’s largest humanitarian demining organizations, and have operations in Northwest and Northeast Syria, respectively. Attendees heard from Andrew Moore, HALO’s Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Afghanistan, and Najat El Hamri, MAG’s Regional Director for the Middle East, on the ongoing efforts to clear Syria of landmines, improvised explosive devices, and other unexploded ordnance. The demining experts also discussed the increased need for resources and access following the fall of the Assad regime, and the major barriers to operating in Syria.
Attendees also heard from Charles Lister, Senior Fellow, Director of Syria and Countering Terrorism & Extremism programs at the Middle East Institute, who discussed the broader political and security situation in Syria, current and future U.S. engagement, and the need for demining moving forward.
Thank you to all our panelists, and to all attendees. Please find a recording of the webinar below.
Support from private donors is critical to our mission. At this time, The HALO Trust and The HALO Trust (USA), Inc are unable to accept online donations designated for Syria through our website. To make a donation to support our work in Syria, you can mail a check to The HALO Trust USA, 1730 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, Suite 206; Washington, DC 20036. To donate by bank transfer, stock, or for other ways to give, please contact us at donorservices@halousa.org.
The HALO Trust conducts operations in Syria in strict accordance with US sanctions policies. HALO is deeply committed to maintaining compliance with US sanctions policy and all other legal requirements. For any additional information on our compliance processes, please contact us at mail@halousa.org
