Today, on World Refugee Day (June 20), we stand in solidarity with more than 122 million people around the world who have been forced to flee their homes – the highest number ever recorded.
For many, returning is not a simple matter of going home. Explosive ordnance – landmines, unexploded bombs, and improvised devices – lie hidden in rubble, farmland, and roads, making it too dangerous for families to rebuild their lives.
Each year, more than 5,500 people are killed or injured by these deadly weapons – most are civilians, and many are children.
Syria. ©MAG/Emily Garthwaite
Even when displaced families do return, the towns and villages they come back to are often unsafe.
In Syria, the scale of the threat is stark. Since December 2024, two million refugees have tried to return home – but more than 900 civilians have been killed or injured by explosive weapons. Children are among the most vulnerable.
This ongoing danger traps families between displacement and devastation, unable to move forward in safety.
Najwa Aljanada, MAG’s Programme Manager in Syria, explains: “We are supporting people to access essential services, we realised there was this need, and we have a referral system. However, in some villages there is not support available, in other cases [the extent] of contamination means that hospitals and schools are unreachable, so clearance is a priority.”
Lebanon
In Lebanon, communities face similar challenges. Hiba Ghandour, MAG’s Programme Manager, says: “Our communities want to go back to their land and support their families, but contamination is a big barrier for them… It has been nice to see people returning after the ceasefire, but then you have people having to leave again because they cannot live in their areas or villages.”
The presence of explosive ordnance also blocks humanitarian assistance. Fatima Abdi, MAG’s Community Liaison Manager in Syria, explains: “Many organisations and humanitarian agencies are not able to provide any assistance or to enter any community if it's contaminated so they need mine action organisations to start working in an area, then humanitarian and development organisations can follow.”
Syria. ©MAG/Emily Garthwaite
To address this, MAG has recently published a new policy paper calling for humanitarian mine action to be more systematically integrated into humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts, especially those aimed at ensuring safety and dignity of people on the move. The paper outlines the need for mobility-sensitive planning, stronger national capacity, and closer coordination with those working in contexts of human mobility, including displacement.
Clearing explosive items is not just about saving lives – it’s about restoring dignity, rebuilding communities, and enabling people to return home in safety.
Read MAG’s policy paper here.
Header image: Syria. ©MAG/Emily Garthwaite
