Protection and safety
Explosive ordnance (EO/ERW) contamination remains a threat to civilians across Syria particularly during farming and rubble clearing. Needs for risk education is recommended prior return to your original residence. This section provides information about Mine Risk education in addition to protection services to persons with specific needs and tracing missing family members.
Mine risk and safety guidance
As communities in Syria work towards recovery, the risk of explosive hazards remains a critical daily reality. The landscape may be contaminated with a wide variety of dangerous items, including landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO) such as mortars and rockets, cluster munitions, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) hidden in ordinary objects
High-Risk activities
- Farming, rubble removal, and children playing in contaminated areas.
Practical Safety Tips
- Explosive hazard awareness first. Before entering homes, fields, or public buildings that were abandoned/contested, assume contamination until assessed. Do not move rubble, dig, or collect scrap without proper risk checks[1].
- Stay on known paths and avoid shortcuts through fields or ruins.
- Supervise children and educate them about EO risks.
- Seek support from experts when clearing rubble
- When farming, never dig in unknown areas.
Key messages for mine and ERW safety
⚠️ Do not touch or move suspicious items.
⚠️ Mark and report hazardous areas to local authorities or humanitarian actors.
⚠️ Share information to protect others and report.
⚠️ Report hazards immediately. If you see a suspicious object, do not touch; mark/photograph from a safe distance; report via local hotlines/NGOs listed below[1].
Specific guidance for particularly voulnerable groups:
For Farmers
Farmers face high risks when working in the fields or clearing irrigation channels. Always stay on previously used paths, avoid digging in unfamiliar areas, and never touch suspicious objects. If you see an item that looks like a strange metallic object, mark the area and report it to local authorities. Prioritize safety over speed during agricultural work.
For Teens
Teenagers are at risk when exploring abandoned buildings or playing outdoors. Do not pick up or play with strange objects, even if they look harmless or small. Share information with friends and encourage reporting suspicious items to adults. Remember: curiosity can kill—stay alert and avoid shortcuts through fields or ruins.
For Rubble Removal Workers
Workers clearing debris face extreme danger from hidden explosives. Always conduct visual checks before starting work, use protective equipment, and follow clearance guidelines provided by humanitarian agencies. Never use heavy machinery in areas suspected of contamination without prior technical assessment by experts.
For Women
Women often manage household tasks and care for children in contaminated environments. Before returning home, inspect surroundings visually without touching debris. Avoid collecting firewood or water from areas with rubble or abandoned military equipment. Teach children to stay away from unknown objects and share safety messages with neighbors to protect the community.
For Children
Children should be taught simple rules: never touch unknown objects, stay on safe paths, and inform an adult immediately if they see something unusual. Visual posters and storytelling can help reinforce these messages. Parents and caregivers must supervise outdoor play and explain the dangers clearly.
Personal Safety: Do/Don’t Checklists
During the return journey
Do
- Get latest updates on routes, checkpoints, and EO incidents from UNHCR community centers/partners before traveling or from the community by asking neighbors/authorities which streets, buildings, or farmland are known/suspected hazard areas.[1] https://unmas.org/en/programmes/syria
- Keep children close; explain “Don’t touch—mark and tell” in age‑appropriate language[2].
[1] See ibid.
[2] Teaching Syria’s Children the Dangers of Landmines and Unexploded Ordnance | UNICEF USA
In/around your home, if damaged
Do
- Conduct a visual sweep from outside (doorways, stairs, windowsills, loose wires, unusual objects). If in doubt, do not enter.
- Use a torch/phone light without touching objects; look for tripwires/odd items.
- If safe, mark suspect areas (e.g., with cloth/paint) from a distance and call local authorities.
Further details and reading in ICRC’s Weapon contamination in urban settings handbook
Livelihood & Daily Tasks
Do
- For farming/grazing, start on known safe paths, expand gradually after EORE guidance; use tools with care.
- For water points/wells, inspect surroundings for suspicious canisters/wires.
Do NOT
- Don’t shortcut across vacant lots, rubble, trenches, former front lines, riverbanks, orchards, or irrigation canals—common hazard locations.
- Don’t enter tunnels, basements, or locked rooms in damaged buildings; booby traps may be present[1].
[1] 4384_002 Weapon Contamination in Urban Settings: An ICRC Response; July 2019; 300
Do NOT
- Don’t move rubble, shift furniture, or collect scrap metal; many casualties occur during clean‑up.
- Don’t burn debris; heat can detonate hidden ordnance.
Do NOT
- Don’t let children collect firewood, play football, or fly kites in vacant or uncleared areas.
Persons with Specific Needs
If you have any fears or concerns, please approach the legal assistance centers or contact any of the hotlines operated by UNHCR implementing partners who provide free of charge legal assistance program funded by UNHCR in Syria. All contact information and available services can be found on UNHCR Syria Help Page available at: UNHCR Services and where to find Help.
Also, you can approach or contact the nearest community centre in your area of return, which are one-stop-shops for people in need of help.
In the community centres, UNHCR and our partners provide free and confidential services, including:
- legal assistance
- child protection
- protection from gender-based violence
- psychosocial services
- specialized programmes for persons with disabilities and older persons.
At the community centre, trained staff is available to listen to your story in full confidentiality and explore possible services free of charge in a safe place.
More information on types of services per location, which will be continuously updated, can be found on the Service Advisory Platform: Services Advisor Syria
Tailored services to children
Returning home after a long time away can be difficult for children. They may feel worried, withdrawn, have trouble sleeping, or exhibit different behaviors. Free support is available to help children and families cope. UNICEF and its partners offer mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) through child-friendly spaces, community centers, and mobile teams. Services include individual counseling, group activities, and emotional support to help children feel safe and well. To find the nearest service, ask at your local Department of Social Affairs and Labour (DoSAL) office, visit a nearby community center, or call 0952535262 (Sunday to Thursday, 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM) to speak with someone who can help you find the nearest child protection service.
Tracing Missing Family Members
If you lost contact with a family member due to conflict, migration , or disaster, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC),provides family tracing services to help families reconnect with missing loved ones.
Family tracing is not a guarantee that a lost family member will be found, and tracing can sometimes take months or years.
However, ICRC will collect information that may help clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing family. When tracing is successful, ICRC will inform families of the whereabouts of their loved ones and, when possible, help to reunite those families.
To start the process of family tracing, you can contact the following helplines:
- Former detainees who need support to communicate with and be reunited with their families can call: 0953555431.
- Families searching for their loved ones, including former detainees can call: 0936033628.
Families can also contact ICRC offices in Damascus and Rural Damascus, Aleppo or Homs directly with the usual Protection of Family Links phone number:
- Damascus: Mob: 093 600 112 / Tel: 011 338 060 00
- Aleppo: Mob: 093 003 8337 / Tel: 02 122 147 00
- Homs: Mob: 093 603 3624 / Tel: 03 122 333 22
The helplines are working from Sunday to Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except on official holidays.