Damascus, Sep. 4 (SANA) Head of Clearance Department at the National Mine Action Center at the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed Hassoun announced that work is underway to develop a comprehensive three-year national strategy to clear Syrian territory of mines and unexploded ordnance.
In an interview with SANA on Friday, Hassoun said the strategy is based on establishing a unified national information system to collect data related to contamination, building sustainable national capacities, and developing a standards system for mine action operations, including survey and clearance activities.
He noted that the center is seeking to benefit from the latest international technologies and is currently conducting trials involving German drones and modern mechanical equipment for survey and clearance operations.
Hassoun explained that, following the completion of a national contamination map, the center is prioritizing the protection of civilians and facilitating the return of displaced people to their areas. Subsequent priorities include rehabilitating agricultural land and supporting investment and development plans.
He added that the Ministry of Transport has requested a survey of the railway line linking Aleppo with Iraq to secure oil transport, describing the project as an economic priority in an area with high levels of contamination.
The strategy comes as Syria continues efforts to address the risks posed by mines and unexploded ordnance, support recovery projects and improve conditions for the safe return of residents and the implementation of development initiatives.
Earlier Wednesday, Syria received mine-clearance machines, as Syrian-German cooperation seeks to accelerate mine detection and clearance operations while reducing risks to volunteers.
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