In the village of Kafr Amma in the Aleppo countryside, 10-year-old Leen has recently returned home with her family following years of displacement caused by conflict. Like many children in northwest Syria, Leen’s community continues to face hidden dangers left behind by war, particularly landmines and unexploded ordnance scattered across former frontline areas.
Leen is a student at Kafr Amma School, where children are gradually returning to daily routines after years of displacement and insecurity. Yet the presence of explosive remnants still poses a serious threat to returning families – especially children, who may not recognise dangerous objects.
To help address these risks, SARD, in partnership with Welthungerhilfe and with support from the European Union, has been conducting child-friendly awareness sessions at the school. These sessions aim to help children recognise explosive hazards and understand how to stay safe.
Before attending the sessions, Leen – like many children – did not realise how dangerous unfamiliar objects could be.
I am 10 years old and I study at Kafr Amma School. When I was younger, I used to play with my friends outside and sometimes find strange metal objects. I thought they were toys, so I would pick them up without knowing they could be very dangerous.
Her teacher explains further: ‘I am a teacher from the Kafr Amma area. After the war, our community faced a very serious danger due to the presence of landmines and unexploded ordnance. It was a frightening reality for families who had just returned to their homes.’
To respond to these risks, interactive awareness sessions are organised at the school, using games, visuals and learning materials designed specifically for children. These activities help children understand dangers and adopt safer behaviours.
Leen shares how the sessions helped her and her classmates better understand the risks around them: ‘When the SARD team came to our school, they taught us about explosive ordnance and how to recognise dangerous objects. We learned about their shapes, warning signs, and how to tell the difference between a real toy and something that could harm us. I learnt that dangerous objects do not always look scary – they can look like a ball, a box or even an old toy.’
There is an urgent need for awareness campaigns to protect both schools and the wider community, especially children. Children are naturally curious and may approach unfamiliar objects without realising the danger. This risk is even greater now that families have returned to Kafr Amma, which was previously a frontline area where the likelihood of explosive remnants remains high.
Now I feel more confident because I know what to do. If I ever see a strange object, I stay away and immediately tell an adult.
Her teacher continues to reinforce these life-saving messages in the classroom. ‘I always remind my students never to touch any unfamiliar object. Instead, they must move away and report what they saw to an adult. These awareness sessions are essential because they help children understand the risks and learn how to protect themselves and others.’
Through activities like these, EU-funded support is helping children like Leen build the knowledge and confidence needed to stay safe, while supporting communities across northwest Syria as they work to rebuild their lives in safer conditions.
