Syria
Syria is a country in the Middle East, which lies on the eastern Mediterranean coast. It contains fertile plains, high mountains and vast deserts.
HALO started work here in 2017. We clear bombs and explosives, and provide safety training to the local people.
Situation in Syria
The fall of the Assad regime on 8 December 2024 ended 14 years of civil war in Syria. Hundreds of thousands of people began trying to return home. The villages and towns they are returning to are wrecked by conflict and contain dangerous explosives.
HALO and the International NGO Safety Organisation estimate that 1,521 people were killed or injured by explosives in the 11 months after the fall of the regime.
It is likely this is an underestimate as there is no central record of accidents. As more families try to return, the number of accidents will continue to rise.
"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."
HALO's work and impact in Syria
HALO has been working in Syria since 2017. The complex nature of the conflict meant HALO only operated in the northwest of Syria, north of Aleppo city and west of Idlib. The fall of the Assad regime means HALO teams are now able to operate across the country.
Large earth barriers and trench systems mark the old frontlines. These are often hundreds of kilometres long and full of mines. HALO is conducting rapid surveys to identify dangerous areas.
Our survey and clearance of explosive items saves lives and limbs in a place where accidents continue to impact the most vulnerable communities. Those living in displacement camps or earning a living from working the land are particularly at risk.
In recent months, we've received 10 times the volume of calls from local people, asking us to deal with explosives found in buildings, gardens, and fields.
HALO staff on the ground
Limited donor funding and the frozen nature of the conflict kept our Syria programme relatively small for several years. We had 40 staff on the ground clearing minefields, responding to explosive device call-outs, and teaching communities to stay safe. To deal with the humanitarian crisis now unfolding, HALO has been rapidly training and growing our teams. By November 20025, we had grown to over 250 staff. This will help us save lives, stabilise the country, and pave a path to peace for the millions of Syrians who want to rebuild their country.
We have mixed-gender teams conducting explosive ordnance disposal. Our female staff are proud to be permanently disposing of explosives. This challenges typical gender roles and demonstrates the value of having women in the team.
Teaching people to stay safe
Since 2016 we've been teaching families how to stay safe in a landscape hugely contaminated with unexploded debris.
So far, we've taught over half a million people in face-to-face classes in the heart of communities.
We've developed innovative approaches and adapted to the Syrian context, like puppet shows and card games. We've also developed online risk education campaigns to reach more people.
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.
Other HALO programmes in the Middle East
HALO's work in Syria is funded by:
