Protection of civilians in Syria through humanitarian mine action This project aims to coordinate the Mine Action sector under the Whole of Syria (WoS) coordination framework and facilitate mine action activities through information management, planning and prioritisation, and quality management. USD 1.2 million is required for this six-month project.

The overall objective of UNMAS Syria Response programming is to facilitate humanitarian mine action activities to reduce the impact of explosive hazards in Syria. Currently, UNMAS Syria directly supports risk education (RE), contamination impact survey (CIS) and victim assistance (VA) initiatives in Syria. Moreover, as the Mine Action Sub-Cluster (MASC) lead, UNMAS Syria coordinates the full spectrum of mine action activities conducted by the sector, and support from UNOCHA over the last year has been critical in enabling UNMAS to fulfill this coordination role. While UNMAS Syria has been actively exploring alternative funding sources, a gap has been identified that, if left unfilled, would require the UNMAS Syria Response programme to reduce in capacity. As such, UNMAS Syria requests a continuation of OCHA support to act as bridge funding that will partially meet UNMAS coordination needs for the period. This would ensure the sustained coordination of mine action partners and continued engagement through the whole of Syria (WoS) coordination structure. If this proposal is successful it is hoped that, subject to review of performance later this year, additional OCHA funding for a further six months might be considered. 

The extensive use of explosive weapons during the past six years of continuous conflict in Syria poses a grave threat to civilians. Explosive hazard contamination endangers the lives of people living in Syria or fleeing the conflict, in addition to hampering the delivery of humanitarian assistance. It is estimated that 6.3 million people are currently living in sub-districts which have been affected by incidents involving explosive weapons. In 88 per cent of sub-districts surveyed in Syria, the issue of explosive hazards has been identified by the local population as a major protection concern.

The presence of landmines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and explosive remnants of war (ERW) including cluster munitions, impedes freedom of movement, access to livelihoods and the economic recovery of the population. In 2016, communities in 57 percent of sub-districts assessed reported that agricultural land was contaminated, thus rendering it unusable for productive use. Private properties were reported to be contaminated in 38 percent of assessed sub-districts. Key infrastructure such as housing, schools, health centres, and water and sanitation systems have been repeatedly targeted 22 per cent of the sub-districts reported that schools and hospitals were contaminated. Rubble removal and reconstruction efforts will therefore require a mine action component in order to be effective. 

The social and economic impact of this explosive contamination will last for generations. Survivors of explosive hazard incidents often suffer physical, emotional and psychological injury, economic loss or substantial impairment of their fundamental rights, which impacts families and communities. Moreover, explosive hazards in Syria will also jeopardize the safe return of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) given their lack of familiarity with resulting contamination. 

Mitigating the impact of explosive hazards on civilians in Syria is therefore a major protection priority. 

UNMAS Syria is a programme under the overall direction and oversight of UNMAS New York and implemented by UNOPS under the Financial Regulations and Rules of UNOPS. Hence, this proposal is submitted by UNOPS.