“When young children died, they were working in the land. We didn’t understand why and how. They told us they died because of a strange object they found on the ground. When you came here, however, and we saw what are the objects that could harm us and our parents, we believe we must get cautious, pay more attention to protect ourselves.”
This is what an adolescent boy said during the campaign conducted by the Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD), in cooperation
with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), under the title Mine and ERW Awareness, conducted at the Nabd Community Center, Behm Camps, Sweida.
Throughout the session, types, hazards, and disastrous effects of ERW/UXO have been duly explained, as well as how to protect children from them: being aware of warning signs, safe conduct, emergency situations – in addition to emphasizing reporting to the toll-free number (108) designated by the Ministry of Interior for that purpose.
SSSD facilitators also insisted on the necessity of delivering and instilling awareness messages, thus raising the level of ERW awareness, in order to protect our children and ensure a healthy, safe and injury-free society.
At the end of the session, one of the children said: “I thought it was merely a strange toy I could play and have fun with. I didn’t know it could cause my death!”