The Syrian Future Movement follows with deep sorrow and condemnation the details of the tragic incident that occurred in the village of Al-Hamamiyat, in the northern countryside of Hama, on Friday, October 2, 2026. An eight-year-old child sustained severe injuries\u2014necessitating the amputation of his limbs\u2014following the explosion of a landmine left over from the war.
His condition has been described as unstable at Mhardeh Hospital, amidst a state of medical and community mobilization in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Syrian Future Movement views this tragic incident not as an isolated event, but as a new link in a series of explosions involving war remnants that claim the lives of innocent civilians in Syria\u2014particularly children, who pay a heavy price for conflicts in which they played no part.
The Movement believes that the persistence of this tragedy demands a serious national response; one that goes beyond mere condemnation to encompass accountability and the implementation of fundamental solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Syrian Future Movement views with grave concern the scale of casualties resulting from landmines and war remnants in Syria, as documented in verified human rights reports. The Syrian Network for Human Rights has documented the deaths of at least 3,799 civilians\u2014including 1,000 children\u2014due to landmines and cluster munition remnants since 2011; among them, 329 civilians were killed following the fall of the regime on December 8, 2024.
The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that these figures are not merely cold statistics; they represent the lives of children, youth, and women, as well as shattered families and futures placed in jeopardy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We consider every child injured today by the remnants of war to be an indictment of those who failed to protect civilians, and every unremoved mine to be a ticking time bomb awaiting its next victim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this context, the Syrian Future Movement reiterates the steadfast positions published on its official website, where it has highlighted the grave danger posed to civilians by war remnants and the necessity of serious efforts to clear them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We also draw attention to our statement titled “Towards Ending the Threat of Landmines in Syria,” issued on August 18, 2025, in which we affirmed that “ending this threat requires a global approach aligned with the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (1997) and the recommendations of specialized international organizations,” noting that 10.3 million Syrians\u2014half of whom are children\u2014live in mine-contaminated areas. The Syrian Future Movement also recalls its statement dated February 17, 2026, titled “Launching a Comprehensive Campaign to Remove Rubble and War Remnants in Idlib Governorate,” in which it welcomed government efforts to clear debris and emphasized that “rubble removal is the crucial first step toward rebuilding infrastructure and restoring confidence in the future.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Syrian Future Movement maintains that these previously emphasized principles remain valid today and require tangible action on the ground, rather than mere statements of condemnation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Syrian Future Movement holds the transitional government and relevant authorities fully responsible for the continuation of this disaster and for the failure to take proactive, effective measures to clear landmines and war remnants from villages and towns to which civilians have returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Movement considers the injury of this child\u2014who was playing near his home\u2014to be evidence of an institutional failure to secure areas that are ostensibly safe, as well as the absence of a comprehensive national plan to clear Syrian territory of war remnants, despite repeated public demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Syrian Future Movement notes that the protest organized by the residents of Al-Hamamiyat village on Saturday, October 3, 2026\u2014demanding intensified efforts to clear landmines and war remnants and to remove debris\u2014represents a legitimate expression of genuine public anger and a collective refusal to continue paying the price of conflicts without protection or compensation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We further regard these demands as a fundamental right to life and safety\u2014an obligation the state must fulfill above all other commitments. Acting upon its national responsibility<\/p>\n\n\n\n
, the Syrian Future Movement makes the following recommendations:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n First: The Syrian Future Movement calls upon the transitional government to declare a national state of emergency for the removal of landmines and remnants of war. This initiative should include allocating an emergency budget, forming specialized teams, and establishing a binding timeline to clear villages and towns to which civilians have returned, while prioritizing areas that witnessed intense combat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second: The Syrian Future Movement advocates for leveraging successful international experiences in mine clearance\u2014such as the International Organization for Migration\u2019s (IOM) work in Angola, which successfully surveyed over 600 villages and cleared 21 million square meters of land, and the HALO Trust\u2019s efforts in Somalia, which removed more than 200 tons of hazardous ordnance. The Movement emphasizes the necessity of utilizing international expertise regarding training, public awareness, and modern technologies, consistent with its previous statement calling for “cooperation with UN experts and relevant organizations to clear contaminated areas by 2030.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Third: The Syrian Future Movement calls for the launch of national awareness campaigns\u2014in collaboration with the Ministries of Education and Information and civil society organizations\u2014targeting children and families in affected areas. These campaigns should educate them on the dangers of war remnants, prevention methods, and procedures for reporting suspicious items, mirroring programs implemented by UNICEF and international organizations in conflict zones. Fourth: The Syrian Future Movement calls upon the transitional government to assume full responsibility regarding the victims of war remnants by providing fair compensation to victims’ families, offering health, psychological, and social care to the injured, ensuring their rehabilitation and integration into society, and refraining from leaving them to face their fate alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fifth: The Syrian Future Movement calls for the opening of urgent and transparent investigations into every incident involving war remnants, the determination of individual responsibilities, the holding accountable of anyone proven responsible for negligence regarding mine clearance or civilian protection, and the public disclosure of findings without delay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Syrian Future Movement reiterates its condemnation of all those responsible for this tragedy, expresses its full solidarity with the injured child and his family, and prays for his speedy recovery. A protest by the residents of Al-Hamamiyat village calling on the international community to hold those responsible for war remnants accountable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":67653,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[179,4841],"tags":[4706],"class_list":["post-67655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-office-en","category-popular-base-office","tag-press-release"],"yoast_head":"\n
The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that the lives of children are not cheap, and that every day that passes without… Every day spent on mine clearance is a day when new lives are sacrificed as the price for inexcusable negligence.
We reiterate that the protection of civilians\u2014especially children\u2014is the primary responsibility of any state seeking legitimacy and stability.
For its part, the Syrian Future Movement will continue to support all efforts that enhance public safety and the protection of life; it will remain a critic of negligence and a monitor of actions on the ground, striving toward a new Syria where no child falls victim to a landmine and no life is lost to negligence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"