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August 2021
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Mines
August 19, 2021

In the innocence of childhood, anything lying on the ground can look like a toy

Twelve-year-old Mateem Ali did not understand the danger of the place he had gone to until he became the victim of a landmine — a weapon that does not distinguish between a child, a woman, or an animal.

Mateem and his family had been displaced from the Deir ez-Zor area to Jarmiz, in the countryside of Al-Shaddadi, in search of safety and a life free from the violence they had fled.

But a landmine planted on a nearby hill known as Jabal Al-Anaz was waiting for him, hidden beneath the ground as he played nearby.

The mines planted by ISIS did not threaten armed forces alone. Their danger extended to civilians and innocent people, claiming lives, causing permanent injuries and disabilities, and taking away the innocence of childhood.

The explosion sent shrapnel into Mateem’s body, face, and leg, leaving injuries that may affect him for the rest of his life. Yet he was only a child, unable to understand why he had to pay such a price.

Mateem recalls that he was herding sheep with a friend. At around ten in the morning, they were preparing to leave when the explosion occurred:

“We were herding the sheep, and suddenly I felt myself being thrown into the air by the force of the explosion. I was still conscious and aware of what was happening around me.”

He continues:

“After the mine exploded and shrapnel spread across my body, I managed to reach the nearby houses with great difficulty, with the help of my friend. The family there bandaged my wounds to stop the bleeding.”

Mateem suffered multiple shrapnel injuries across his body. More than anything, he feared that he would lose his foot and hoped that he would be able to walk on it again.

He struggled to hold back his tears as he recalled his mother’s fear when he arrived home with his clothes covered in blood:

“Everyone at home was terrified. They were all crying.”

During the interview, Mateem shared a message with other children living in areas affected by conflict. He urged them to stay away from suspicious places and never touch objects that could be mines or other explosive remnants of war, so they would not face a fate like his or lose their lives.

What happened to Mateem is part of an ongoing danger facing communities in Al-Shaddadi, where the threat of mines and explosive remnants of war remains hidden beneath the ground and in places people regularly visit. These hazards continue to claim lives, cause injuries, and leave people with permanent disabilities.

RMCO has successfully cleared most of the explosive hazards from the area where Mateem lives. When landmines, improvised explosive devices, and unexploded ordnance are removed, families have a greater chance to work and live safely, while children can grow up free from fear.

By admin
Mines
August 19, 2021

A Landmine Could Not Stand Between Him and His Dream of Education

Shaalan recalls the moment that changed his life:

“We had fled to nearby areas because of the fighting. We had only just returned to our home in Fadaghmi after the armed groups were driven out. When I tried to open the door, an explosion occurred. I screamed once, and then I lost awareness of everything around me.”

Shaalan regained consciousness several days later in the hospital. He had sustained multiple injuries, particularly to his abdomen and hand. As he gradually became aware of his surroundings, he noticed that the lower part of his body felt strangely lighter. Then he realized the truth: he had lost his left leg.

Despair and fear took hold of him — fear of disappointing his family, of being unable to support them or return to his normal life, and of becoming dependent on them for everyday activities. But with time, he gradually began to adapt to his new reality.

Shaalan began learning to walk with crutches, slowly and painfully. With every step, a small sense of hope began to emerge — the hope that his life could improve and that what he had lost would not mark the end of his journey.

Today, Shaalan attends school. He is a bright and dedicated student who remains committed to his education despite the challenges he faces. However, he struggles with the distance to school and experiences pain on the way due to his injury.

Shaalan says:

“All I wish for is to be able to finish my education.”

Despite his efforts to move forward, Shaalan sometimes still feels that what happened to him was unfair.

“I was not a fighter, and I had no enemies.”

The fear of landmines remains deeply rooted in his memory. What happened did not affect his body alone; its impact extended to his entire family. Shaalan says that none of them will easily forget what happened, and that the fear of another family member being injured in a similar incident will remain with them, leaving a lasting mark long after the incident itself.

By admin
Mines
August 19, 2021

Persistent Landmines, Families Paying the Price

As he did every day, Hassan Hanoush set out at dawn to buy his daily necessities. Before leaving, he kissed his ten-year-old son on the cheek and promised to return by the end of the day with something that would make him happy.

Hassan left the Al-Mashouh area, west of Al-Shaddadi, unaware that this would be the last morning of his life — and that the gift he was carrying for his son would never reach his hands.

Two hours before sunset, after finishing his shopping and preparing to return to his village, Hassan was walking along the road carrying a gift for his son. On the roadside, near a garbage container, an improvised explosive device fitted with a timer had been planted along a route used by civilians.

Hassan was unaware of the danger. As he approached the device, it exploded, leaving him critically injured. He was taken to the hospital, but succumbed to his injuries, leaving behind four children without a father or provider.

That day, Hassan’s family did not simply lose a father and a provider. A ten-year-old child also lost the father who had promised to return home with a gift.

Landmines, improvised explosive devices, and explosive remnants of war continue to threaten civilian lives, even in areas where life has resumed after the fighting has ended. They leave behind new victims and families forced to pay a price they had no part in creating.

As part of efforts to reduce this threat, our engineering teams have cleared approximately 90% of the area where Hassan lived, helping protect civilians and prevent further casualties caused by landmines and explosive remnants of war.

By admin
Mines
August 17, 2021

When Landmines Stand in the Way of Dreams

For 26-year-old Kazem Mohammed Al-Affar, his dream was to protect his family from the conflict in his area and provide them with a safer life. But that dream was shattered in an instant when he stepped on a stone concealing a landmine.

The force of the explosion knocked him unconscious. He regained consciousness in a hospital, surrounded by doctors. He tried to move his limbs and sit upright, only to face a devastating reality: he had not only lost consciousness — he had lost both of his legs.

Kazem later learned that he had entered a minefield planted by an extremist group in an area inhabited by civilians, putting both people and animals at risk.

Kazem recalls:

“Days passed as I lay in the hospital bed, looking at my injured legs in despair, day after day. I tried to resist my disability, hoping that somehow my legs might recover or that something might change. At that moment, I felt a profound sense of helplessness and overwhelming despair.”

He continues:

“I tried to sit on a chair nearby, as if I were not injured. I had heard stories of people who had lost limbs because of landmines and explosive remnants of war, or whose lives had been permanently changed by them. I listened closely to a man sitting nearby as he described landmines in the harshest terms. I brought one leg closer to the other, but I realized that they were no longer the way I remembered them. The feeling of loss almost overwhelmed me.”

Today, Kazem is calling for landmines to be cleared from his city, so that others do not have to face the fate he experienced and families can return to their lives without fearing a hidden danger beneath their feet.

Kazem Is Not the Only Victim

The landmines did not shatter Kazem’s dream of walking again alone. Many innocent civilians across Syria — including women, children, and older people — have faced a similar fate, becoming victims of explosive remnants of war that continue to threaten lives long after the fighting has stopped.

By admin