A childhood amidst the sound of shellfire
Mohamed, 12, lives in Maarat-al-Naasan, in the province of Idleb in northwest Syria. This area, ravaged by years of conflict, bears the scars of incessant bombing and fighting between the Syrian army and opposition groups.
Here, houses have been gutted, the walls in the streets are riddled with bullet holes and the sound of shelling and drones is omnipresent. But for Mohamed, the war is more than just an oppressive environment: it has left an indelible mark on his body.
Amputated after stepping on an explosive remnant of war
Four years ago, while playing behind his house, Mohamed stepped on an explosive remnant of war. The explosion caused him to haemorrhage and lose consciousness. He was rushed to hospital where his left leg was amputated below the knee.
The accident turned his life upside down. He was forced to spend many months learning how to live again and move around on crutches. Mohamed says that he suffered a lot from the way people looked at him during this period, and that he felt different from his friends and classmates.
“The prosthesis changed my life”
Mohamed's life took a turn for the better when he first went to the rehabilitation department at Aqrabat hospital, one of HI's partners in north-west Syria. Today, this specialist medical centre is playing a central role in his recovery. Under the supervision of physiotherapist Jamal Hashoum, Mohamed has been following a rehabilitation programme. As part of a gradual process, he was first taught to use crutches and has now been fitted with an adapted prosthesis.
Jamal remembers Mohamed's emotion when he was able to return to school:
“He was very happy to be able to go back to school and play like any other child. Now he can perform all his everyday movements easily thanks to his prosthesis.”
Mohamed now wants to continue to live, grow and follow his dreams of becoming a doctor, engineer or even a farmer!
For Jamal, accompanying Mohamed on this journey towards autonomy is a source of pride:
‘What you feel after helping a child integrate into society and enjoy the most basic rights of a child, rights stolen from them by the war in Syria, is a great feeling that makes you want to keep moving forward.”
In Syria, HI raises awareness of the dangers of explosive remnants of war
Mohamed's story illustrates the continuing threat of explosive remnants of war in Syria where many square kilometres of land remain contaminated. To prevent further tragedies, HI is rolling out risk education programmes in northwest Syria, particularly in the governorates of Idleb and Aleppo.
In 2023, HI accompanied and supported almost 112,700 people through risk education activities in Syria. The sessions were run by 66 educators in a variety of settings: in people’s homes, in schools, community centres, IDP camps or informal settlements, or in the offices of other NGOs.
These sessions have helped to raise community awareness of the dangers posed by bomb remnants – a legacy of the particularly intense bombing and shelling that took place between 2013 and 2019, especially in the towns. Contamination in these regions is also marked by the presence of improvised explosive devices, such as gas canisters fitted with explosive systems, designed to injure civilians.
Through its demining, risk education and rehabilitation activities, HI works alongside people like Mohamed to enable them to rebuild their lives protected from the dangers of explosive weapons that continue to threaten Syrian communities.
