Safe Ground, Real Futures: Supporting National Mine Action to Accelerate Development in Syria

As the world marks the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action on 4 April, attention turns to a reality that continues to shape everyday life across Syria: progress is slower on unsafe land. Mines and unexploded ordnance restrict where people can live, work and invest in their future. Clearing that land is not only about safety. It is about enabling development and accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

This message is at the heart of No More Mines in Syria, a new documentary released with the support of the United Nations in Syria to coincide with the International Day. The film highlights how national institutions, local communities and people on the ground are working together to make land safe again, with the UN Country Team supporting the initiative to strengthen capacity and unlock development opportunities.

The UN Resident Coordinator ad interim and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Nathalie Fustier, captures the purpose behind this collective effort, saying, “Syria’s recovery cannot scale on unsafe ground. Mine action is more than lifesaving. It is a pre-requisite and key enabler for humanitarian response, early recovery, reconstruction and development.”

Across the country, physical insecurity continues to translate into lost opportunity. Fertile farmland lies unused. Local markets cannot fully reopen. Schools, clinics and water systems remain idle until the surrounding areas are declared safe. For families returning after years of displacement, uncertainty about where it is safe to walk, work, or let children play remains a daily concern.

The documentary focuses on the changes that occur when that barrier is removed.

In rural areas, cleared land enables farmers to return to their fields and grow food for their families and local markets. This directly enhances food security and household income during a period when communities strive to regain economic stability. In towns and cities, cleared access roads reconnect neighbourhoods to markets, schools and health centres. Small shops and workshops reopen, creating jobs and restoring local supply chains. Parents once again send children to school buildings that had been unused, reintroducing routines and normalcy into family life.

These changes, while local, are transformative. They demonstrate how mine action supports multiple SDGs simultaneously: from ending poverty and hunger to promoting decent work, education, health and peaceful communities. Safe land allows people to make long-term decisions: to invest, rebuild and remain.

Under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator, the UN in Syria team works as one to support nationally led mine action as a foundation for broader development. By aligning clearance efforts with national recovery priorities and local development plans, the UN helps ensure that each cleared area delivers long‑lasting benefits. This approach reflects the United Nations Secretary-General’s UN 2.0 vision: focusing on impact, working across sectors and supporting country‑driven solutions in a more coherent way.

The timing of the documentary’s release reinforces the 2026 theme of the International Day: “Invest in Peace; Invest in Mine Action.” Globally, mines and explosive remnants of war continue to claim lives and slow development long after conflicts end. On average, someone is killed or injured by an explosive device every hour, with children facing particular risk.

In Syria, investing in mine action is an investment in peace and development combined. It restores dignity by allowing people to move freely and safely. It supports national institutions in delivering services and managing land responsibly. And it reduces the risks that can undermine recovery efforts years down the line.

The documentary also emphasises the significance of partnership. National authorities, local organizations, communities and international partners all contribute to reducing contamination and establishing safe spaces for development. The UN’s support helps link these efforts, build capacity and ensure that progress is inclusive and sustainable.

Importantly, the story is told through people’s experiences rather than policy language. Viewers see how safety affects daily routines, livelihoods and future plans. In doing so, the film brings the Sustainable Development Goals to life, not as abstract targets, but as real improvements in how people live.

As Syria continues its path toward recovery, one message comes through clearly: development begins where people feel safe enough to invest in tomorrow. Clearing mines does not mark the end of a process. It marks the beginning of an opportunity.

On this International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, No More Mines in Syria is a reminder that supporting nationally led mine action is about more than clearing land. It is about creating the space for peace to take hold and for sustainable development to grow.

Learn more about the UN's work in Syria on the UN team's website.