14/07/2022 Siria
“If you ever come across anything suspicious like this item, please do not pick it up, contact your local law enforcement agency for assistance”
“Syria reports the highest number of victims caused by explosive ordnance globally”. The guns might have fallen silent in Syria’s Civil War, but civilians are still dying. Abdulaziz al-Oqab lost his entire family to the war’s leftover evils – landmines and unexploded ordnance. “We went out for a picnic on a spring day. Unfortunately, it was a day of joy that turned into tragedy,” al-Oqab explained. “My brother, my uncle and his three sons were killed, as were my wife, my brother’s wife and my four sisters. An entire family was destroyed. Now I am responsible for taking care of these orphans and injured family members… my sister is paralyzed now.” According to the UN, more than 10 million Syrians live in areas contaminated by explosives – more than half the country. Since 2015, landmines and other explosive remnants have, on average, killed or injured five people every day. This is a “huge number,” said Habibulhaq Javed, who heads Syria’s UN Mine Action Service team. “Currently, Syria reports the highest number of victims caused by explosive ordnance globally.” Eleven years of war have left 500,000 dead, and cities and countryside seeded with landmines that Syria’s government cannot effectively find and neutralize. Moreover, there are no records of what was left where or by which side. “Due to the absence of mine maps, we are obliged to search for mines in each meter of land in the areas once controlled by the armed terrorist groups,” one Syrian officer said. “We have to carefully check, which requires a long time and a great effort. It drains our forces and capabilities in the long run.”
Dear editors, Biography of a bomb is aimed at highlighting the danger caused by unexploded bombs. Moreover, the most important aspect is that we work completely non profit, raising awerness about this topic is what drives us. We apologize if we make use of pictures in yours articles, but we need them to put a context in how findings are done. We will (and we always do) cite source and author of the picture. We thank you for your comprehension.
