Syria To Release First Map Of Landmine-Contaminated Areas – Minister

DAMASCUS, Oct 26 (Bernama-SANA) -- Syria will soon release its first map showing the distribution of landmines across the country, Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh said, as authorities step up efforts to clear explosive remnants of war, support reconstruction and facilitate the return of displaced families.

Speaking to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on the sidelines of the Syria International Security and Safety Exhibition (FORTIX 2026), al-Saleh said the National Mine Action Centre was implementing a three-year strategy to address landmines and other explosive hazards.

The map will help identify contaminated areas and guide mine clearance efforts.

Al-Saleh described landmines and explosive remnants of war as among Syria’s most serious challenges, threatening civilians, particularly children, while preventing farmers from using their land and hampering reconstruction.

The minister said Syria was working with Germany and Ukraine to exchange expertise and benefit from advanced mine clearance technologies.

A Ukrainian team had recently visited Syria, he said, while preparations were under way for a Syrian team to travel to Ukraine.

The ministry is also seeking to strengthen national mine clearance capabilities through cooperation with other countries and international partners.

Despite ongoing challenges, al-Saleh said the ministry was continuing to develop mine clearance plans and strategies to protect civilians, enable farmers to return to their land and support the reconstruction of war-damaged areas.

Al-Saleh said the ministry was working to establish a joint emergency operations centre with Turkiye to coordinate responses to fires, floods and other disasters on both sides of the border.

He said fires in the region last year, along with rising water levels in the Euphrates River in Turkiye and their impact on Syria, had highlighted the need for closer cross-border coordination.

The two countries share a border of approximately 910 kilometres.

The proposed centre would improve response times and facilitate mutual assistance during emergencies, he said.

Al-Saleh added that Syria was seeking to strengthen its emergency response capabilities through international partnerships, including cooperation with Mediterranean countries.

He said participation in international events, including the Global Security Forum in Doha, offered opportunities to deepen partnerships and improve communication and coordination with other governments.

Turning to displacement, al-Saleh said more than 165 camps had closed across Syria over the past six months, while another 220 were undergoing closure procedures.

He said the ministry had launched 238 projects under the “Syria Without Camps” initiative about a month earlier in Aleppo, Idlib and Hama governorates, with plans to expand the programme.

The projects are being carried out alongside efforts to remove rubble, earthen barriers and other obstacles that prevent the rehabilitation and use of land.

Al-Saleh said the government aimed to resolve the displacement camp issue by the end of 2027 by creating conditions for families to return to their home communities safely, voluntarily, with dignity and on a sustainable basis.

He stressed that the initiative went beyond closing camps and sought to make communities of origin liveable and sustainable, ensuring that returning families would not have to move back into displacement camps.

The initiative combines infrastructure rehabilitation in war-damaged areas with coordination among government ministries, provincial authorities and international organisations.

Al-Saleh said the goal was to help displaced families rebuild their lives in their home communities and establish the conditions for lasting stability.

-- BERNAMA-SANA