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A HALO survey team in a destroyed former frontline village in northwest Syria

Syria

Deaths and injuries in Syria since fall of the Assad regime

378
Killed
560
Injured

The fall of the Assad regime on 8 December 2024 effectively ended the 14 years of civil war in Syria. Hundreds of thousands of people are on the move trying to return to their homes. Millions are likely to follow. But they are returning to villages and towns that are not only wrecked by conflict, but which continue to harbour dangerous explosives.

Monitoring by HALO estimates that by 12 May 2025, 938 children and adults had been killed and injured by mines and other explosives since the fall of the regime. It is likely this is an underestimation as there is no central record of accidents across the country. As more families try to return the number of accidents will rise.

The HALO Trust has been working in Syria since 2017 in opposition-controlled areas. But limited donor funding and the frozen nature of the conflict kept the Syria programme relatively small, with just 40 women and men clearing minefields, responding to community call-outs to deal with explosive devices and teaching communities to stay safe.

To deal with the humanitarian crisis now unfolding, HALO has begun to rapidly train and grow its teams, growing to 120 staff by May 2025 to ensure it can save more lives, stabilise the country and pave a path to peace for the millions of Syrians who want to return and rebuild their country.

“This is good land. It gave us a good living. We can use the income from the land to rebuild. But we cannot plant the land with mines laid across it.”

Rami Al Qasim, Syrian Farmer, Idlib

Our impact

The complex nature of the frozen conflict, with multiple actors, meant HALO only operated in the northwest of Syria – north of Aleppo city and in Idlib, to the west of the city. The fall of the Assad regime means HALO teams are now able to operate in what were highly dangerous frontline areas at the end of 2024. In Summer 2025 HALO Syria will expand operations into the east of the country where there have been large numbers of casualties around the city of Deir Ezzor.

Large earth barriers and trench systems mark the old frontlines – most of which are mined, and run for hundreds of kilometres. HALO is conducting rapid surveys to identify dangerous areas. We are also receiving ten times the volume of calls from local people to deal with individual explosives, such as shells, cluster bombs and rockets, found in buildings, gardens and fields.

Assad regime minefield map

Since 2016 we have been teaching families how to stay safe in a landscape hugely contaminated with unexploded debris. So far we have taught over half a million people in face-to-face risk education classes in the heart of communities. Innovative approaches have been developed and adapted to the Syrian context such as the puppet shows and card games and we have used online risk education campaigns to reach more people.

We have mixed-gender teams conducting explosive ordnance disposal. Our female staff are proud to be permanently disposing of explosives, they also challenge gender roles and demonstrate the value of having women in the team.

Projectiles ploughed from a field in Idlib

Our work

Teaching people how to stay safe

Victim assistance

Explosive ordnance disposal

Our risk education is vital, particularly for children, whose curiosity can easily lead them into danger. They are taught how to recognise dangerous items and what to do if they see something suspicious. Our survey and clearance of explosive items saves lives and limbs in a context where accidents continue to impact the most vulnerable communities, particularly those living in displacement camps or those earning a living from working the land.

"I teach people what to do when coming across any explosive ordnance so they do not lose part of their body or lose the life of someone they love."
Issam, HALO risk education teacher and cluster bomb survivor

Our Work in Syria is Funded By:

Centre de Crise et de Soutien / France - Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères
Centre de Crise et de Soutien / France - Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères
Irish Aid
Irish Aid
Norad
Norad
The Carter Center
The Carter Center
UNOCHA - Syria Cross Border Humanitarian Fund
UNOCHA - Syria Cross Border Humanitarian Fund

Stories From The Middle East

First Look Inside Baptism Churches
First Look Inside Baptism Churches
Read more
Clearing IEDs in Iraq
Clearing IEDs in Iraq
A group of HALO Staff stand in front of a mechanical asset in a desert in Iraq
HALO Iraq on the BBC
A Lifeline in Syria
A Lifeline in Syria
Read more
The mother clearing Syria's bombs
The mother clearing Syria's bombs
Read more
World Environment Day in NW Syria
World Environment Day in NW Syria
Read more
World Refugee Day 2021
World Refugee Day 2021
Read more
Haunted by Danger in Syria
Haunted by Danger in Syria
Read more
Lives lost in Syria
Lives lost in Syria
Read more

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At this time, The HALO Trust is unable to accept online donations designated for Syria through our website. If you wish to make a donation to support our work in Syria, you can post a cheque to The HALO Trust, Attention: Fundraising, Carronfoot, Thornhill, Dumfries, DG3 5BF. To donate by bank transfer, stock, or for other ways to give, please contact us at fundraising@halotrust.org.

The HALO Trust conducts operations in Northwest Syria in strict accordance with sanctions policies. HALO's programme, focused on the mine risk education and unexploded ordnance disposal, is covered by the general licenses included in 31 CFR §542.516. Specific authorisations include activities to support humanitarian projects (31 C.F.R. 542.516(a)(1)) and activities to support education in Syria (31 C.F.R. §542.516(a)(3)), and general license at 542.516(b), which allows the processing of remittances and transactions subject to the authorizations under subsection (a).

HALO is committed to maintaining compliance with sanctions policy and all other legal requirements. For any additional information on our compliance processes please contact us at fundraising@halotrust.org. 

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CARRONFOOT, THORNHILL, DUMFRIES, DG3 5BF

The HALO Trust is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No. 2228587. Registered Charity No. 1001813 and (in Scotland) SC037870. Registered Office: One Bartholomew Close, Barts Square, London EC1A 7BL

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