In northern Syria, White Helmets race to clear cluster munitions

The White Helmets have been racing to clear unexploded ordnance (UXO) from residential and agricultural areas in northern Syria and raise awareness about the danger, even as the explosive remnants of war continue to claim lives.

Cluster munitions, internationally banned explosives that release smaller submunitions in the areas they target, have been a particular focus for Syria civil defence de-mining specialists, and a particular hazard for civilians.

The 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, an international treaty signed by more than 100 states, prohibits under any circumstances the use, development, production, acquisition, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions.

The White Helmets contributed to the 2022 Cluster Munition Monitor report, which provides detailed information on the survey and clearance of cluster munitions, as well as on casualties and victim assistance.

According to the report, one third of the inhabited communities in Syria are affected by explosive remnants of war (ERW).

But the ability to address this contamination remains at critical levels, as mine action programmes suffer from a chronic lack of funding, expertise and adequate attention, per the monitor's report.

Although the full extent of cluster munition contamination is still unknown, it is evidently widespread, according to the report, due to the repeated use of cluster munitions throughout the past 11 years in Syria.

Compared to 2020, there has been a 23% increase in the number of incidents involving ERW this year.

White Helmets teams have successfully removed a large number of explosive remnants, and are working to raise local awareness about the issue and offer guidance on how to deal with suspicious objects that may cause harm.

Unexploded munitions are the biggest threats to civilians in northern Syria, White Helmets volunteer Khaled al-Khatib told Al-Mashareq.

Some are left behind by extremist groups and armed factions in the region, others are the remnants of the ordnance dropped by Russian warplanes, he said.

Clearing residential, agricultural areas

White Helmets teams that specialise in sweeping and clearing cluster munitions and bombs give priority to residential and agricultural areas, al-Khatib said.

Most victims of the cluster munitions are children and farmers, he said, adding that White Helmets teams regularly tour residential areas, schools and farms to educate civilians about the danger.

Members of the public are instructed to stay clear of suspicious objects and to contact the nearest civil defence centre when they encounter them, he said.

White Helmets teams have documented 21 explosions caused by remnants of war in northwestern Syria so far this year, he added, and have submitted their report to international organisations.

These have killed 17 people, including five children, and injured 24 others, including 14 children and women, he said.

This year, the White Helmets have carried out over 780 mine sweeps in some 260 areas littered with munitions, and conducted 449 mine clearing tasks that resulted in the removal of 524 assorted munitions, al-Khatib said.

White Helmets teams specialising in UXO have officially joined the International Coalition to Eliminate Cluster Munitions, he said, adding that this will strengthen the teams through the provision of training and equipment.

Construction worker Naji Bayrakdar, who resides in a displacement camp in a rural part of northern Idlib province, told Al-Mashareq he lost his nephew in a cluster bomb explosion.

He said his sister, who works in the olive groves with her family almost every day, always kept her children close and did not let them out of her sight.

One time, however, her 9-year-old son walked away from her, and was instantly killed in the explosion of a cluster bomb he found.

Raising public awareness

Unexploded ordnance and cluster bombs are highly concerning for civilians in northwestern Syria, as several displacement camps are in areas that have come under heavy shelling in the past, said Idlib resident Hani al-Numan.

Some of these areas are littered with war remnants, he told Al-Mashareq.

Idlib is an agricultural area, dense with olive groves and farms that require ploughing on a regular basis, he said, which leads to encounters with bombs that result in explosions.

Several explosions have occurred in houses that were shelled, including those sheltering internally displaced persons (IDPS), although repeated explosions have made residents more cautious, he said.

Al-Numan said the White Helmets put their lives at risk to save civilians.

The awareness campaigns they conduct also play a key role in reducing the number of injuries, especially among children, he added, as many tend to play with any foreign object they encounter.