Mine Removal in Syria

When the Islamic State (IS) assaulted Kobane, Syria, last fall, nearly the entire population of the town fled for safety to neighboring Turkey. Then, when IS was routed in January, some 60,000 refugees immediately returned home.

More refugees—including families with children—are returning each day. But Kobane remains insecure. About 70 percent of the town was destroyed during the siege, and returnees face possible injury and death due to an abundance of unexploded mines and other ordnance left in the area. Sixty-six people already have been hurt.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is helping to rid Kobane of these explosives. Working with a partner, UMCOR’s support will both allow for the rapid removal and destruction of deadly explosive items and also provide risk education to men, women and children residing in and returning to the city.

Your gift to UMCOR International Disaster Response, Advance #982450, supports UMCOR’s work in Syria, including this vital program, and elsewhere in the world where communities are overwhelmed by disaster or crisis.

Read the latest UMCOR report!