For brothers Osama*, 6, and Yousef*, 10, the day returning home after the end of 14 years of conflict in Syria should have been one of celebration - but instead it was one of tragedy
Brothers Yousef* (10) and Omar* (6) who live in an IDP camp in Idlib. The brothers both lost limbs due to unexploded ordnances when they returned to their homes. Yousef* and Osama* are receiving support from Save the Children and partner Shafak, where they are enrolled in our education programme in the camp where they live. Photo by Belinda Goldsmith/Save the Children. More content available here
ALEPPO, Syria, 16 December 2025 - For brothers Osama*, 6, and Yousef*, 10, the day returning home after the end of 14 years of conflict in Syria should have been one of celebration - but instead it was one of tragedy.
They returned to their home near Idlib about six months ago to start repairs to their destroyed home with their father pitching a tent for shelter. But as the boys were playing outside a landmine exploded. The two brothers were seriously wounded, each losing a leg, while their other brother - 8-year-old Khaled* - was killed.
Save the Children with local partner Shafak is helping to support the family who have returned to a camp for displaced people in a mountainous, rocky area about 60 kms north where they have lived for six years.
Landmines and other explosives are a major issue in Syria where more than half of the 25 million population was displaced internally or as refugees during the conflict. This year about 1.2 million refugees and 1.9 million displaced people have returned to their places of origin.
But despite the end of the conflict on 8 December 2024, in the past year 165 children have been killed and 423 injured by unexploded ordnance, according to figures released by Halo Trust this month. In total there has been 1,592 casualties including 585 fatalities – the highest level in five years [1] although, with no central record of casualties, the actual number is likely to be much higher.
The boys’ father, Ghassan*, 35, who makes a living by collecting and selling plastic and metal, said he no longer saw any safe way they could return home.
He lost the use of one eye and another of his four sons – 13-year-old Mohamad* - when their house was first hit in 2019. He also has two daughters.
“A lot of people are starting to return home but it is so dangerous. We will not go back again now as it is just too risky. We will just wait here. My family has already been destroyed. My wife struggles to cope,” he said.
“We have a very small tent and for the boys life is very hard. Osama still tries to walk and forgets that he does not have two legs. They used to play outside but now they stay inside and are sad.
“I take them to hospital several times a week for physical therapy but otherwise they love to come to the school in the camp here. There are activities here, they are hardworking, and they have friends. Without this school for them life would be a nightmare.”
Global funding cuts this year have impacted the amount of aid going to Syria, with the displacement camp where Osama and Yousef live at risk of losing funding for its school that is supported by Save the Children and local partner Shafak.
This has also hit the amount spent on education programmes such as landmine awareness and assistance for victims.
A recent Save the Children report found that children account for 43% of all casualties from mines and other explosive remnants of war.
Osama and Yousef’s story is just of many in Syria where a US$51 million appeal for mine action in 2024 was only 13% funded.
Rasha Muhrez, Save the Children’s Country Director, said:
“While active conflict may have subsided, the remnants of war are a harsh reminder of its lasting impact. Children who have survived a childhood of conflict are still having their lives threatened every day.
"The international community cannot turn away and must ensure the funding is there for landmine clearance and awareness programmes to prevent further loss of child lives. Families need to be able to return to their homes safely so they can start to rebuild their lives after so many years of conflict."
Save the Children is calling on the transitional government to speed up and fully engage in all efforts to clear existing mines and unexploded ordnance and for international donors to support the scale-up and provision of technical equipment to mark out and clear unexploded ordnance.
Globally Save the Children is calling for increased funding for victims of assistance and to scale up paediatric blast injury training, resource prosthetics, pain management, physiotherapy, and inclusive education to meet children’s lifelong recovery needs.
Save the Children has been working in Syria since 2012, supporting displaced families directly and through local partners.
ENDS
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Notes
1. LM2025-Major-Findings_EN.pdf. Total casualties in 2024 1,015, in 2023 were 993, in 2023 834, in 2021 1,227, in 2020 2,729.
