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Syria
Casualties and Victim Assistance
Casualties
In 2010, no new casualties were identified in Syria. In 2009, a child was killed by an antivehicle mine in Quneitra governorate.[1]
The total number of mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) casualties recorded in Syria since 1967 is at least 659 (220 killed; 439 injured).[2] In the absence of a national casualty data collection mechanism, it is possible that there have been unrecorded casualties.
At least five casualties from cluster munition remnant incidents have been recorded, including four child casualties in 2007.[3]
Victim Assistance
Estimates of the total number of survivors range from 210 to 330.[4] No information was available on efforts made in 2010 to collect data on mine/ERW survivors or to assess their needs.
Victim assistance coordination and survivor inclusion
Syria has no specific victim assistance coordination body, plan, or focal point. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor coordinates all disability planning and activities.[5] The Mine Survivor Care Association, led by a mine survivor, worked with the ministry to ensure the involvement of survivors.[6]
Implementation of the national antidiscrimination law for persons with disabilities remained ineffective.[7] Syria ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 10 July 2009.
[1] Email from Dr. Hosam Doughouz, Health Officer, Quneitra Health Directorate, 12 May 2010.
[2] “Citizen Injured from Israel Left-over Mine Explosion in Quneitra,” SANA (Quneitra), 6 May 2011, www.sana.sy. In the article, Omar al-Heibi, head of the board of the General Association for Rehabilitation of Mine-caused Injuries, states that there have been a total of 660 mine casualties (220 killed; 440 injured) as of May 2011, including a man injured in 2011.
[3] Circle of Impact: The Fatal Footprint of Cluster Munitions on People and Communities (Brussels: Handicap International, May 2007), p. 132.
[4] “A Syrian Severely Wounded by Landmines left by Israeli Occupation Troops in Quneitra,” SANA (Quneitra), 17 June 2008, www.sana.sy; and email from Dr. Hosam Doughouz, Quneitra Health Directorate, 23 February 2009.
[5] US Department of State, “2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Syria,” Washington, DC, 8 April 2011.
[6] Email from Dr. Hosam Doughouz, Quneitra Health Directorate, 12 May 2010.
[7] US Department of State, “2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Syria,” Washington, DC, 8 April 2011.
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