Muhammad al-Khalaf tries to cope with his injury and the amputation of his leg, which was injured years ago in Idlib, northern Syria, after a landmine exploded with him upon his return to his home in Jericho from a bitter journey of displacement that ended painfully with the loss of a limb with an anti-personnel mine.

Al-Khalaf, who works as a media activist, recalls sadly how the joy of returning to his home turned into a state of sadness in 2015, when he fell to the ground after the mine exploded and did not lose consciousness at the time, stressing that the moments following his injury were very difficult and represented a great psychological struggle for him regarding the possibility of continuing his life After losing his limb and his ability to adapt to his new health condition.

Al-Khalaf tells Al-Jazeera Net how he suffered a great psychological shock as a result of losing an important part of his body, especially as he works as a media activist who travels to document field and local events in cities and towns in northern Syria, so that was the biggest challenge for the young media man whose life was turned upside down after the injury, and made him Prisoner of grief and isolation in his home.

Muhammad Al-Khalaf, his life became complicated after he was hit by a landmine years ago while returning to his home in Jericho (Al-Jazeera Net)

Transcend adversity and responsibility

And for a not short time, Al-Khalaf continued in a state of despair before settling his matter and decided to try to return to his normal life and complete his career, as he initiated registration in one of the prosthetic fitting centers in Idlib, and he had that, but the issue of adapting to the limb and enduring the severe pain that afflicts him As a result of the amputation, it was difficult to get over his ordeal, he says.

Today, Al-Khalaf continues his design work for the media in opposition areas, defying his injury, which Al-Khalaf holds responsible for the Syrian regime, which planted these mines in the vicinity of his town, before withdrawing from the area and returning the displaced to their homes.

Al-Khalaf believes that raising awareness of the danger of mines and trying to avoid them is not enough.

Mine clearance efforts are limited and do not provide protection for civilians in Syria (communication sites)

'Worst country'

Although Muhammad al-Khalaf was somewhat lucky to continue his life after the injury, 85 Syrian civilians, including 28 children, have died in separate areas of Syria due to mines since the beginning of 2021, of whom 51 civilians during the month of March, according to the Syrian Network for Rights report. Human.

The network describes Syria as one of the worst countries in the world in terms of the amount of mines planted since 2011, despite the international law prohibiting their use, noting that mines have killed at least 2,601 civilians in Syria since 2011, including 598 children and 267 women, meaning that 33 % Of the victims are women and children.

The Syrian Network confirms that none of the active forces that used the mines did not reveal maps of the places where the mines were planted, nor did they work seriously to remove them, especially the Syrian regime, which regained large areas but did not carry out deliberate clearance operations.

The head of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, Fadl Abdul-Ghani, called for intensifying the efforts of organizations working within the International Campaign to Ban Mines in areas beyond the control of the Syrian regime, especially the civil defense teams that are effectively removing the remnants of war.

Muhammad al-Khalaf succeeded in overcoming his ordeal and escaped death despite losing a leg, while hundreds of Syrians died with mines (Al-Jazeera Net)

In an interview with Al-Jazeera Net, Abdul-Ghani stressed that the Syrian regime does not do any serious work to remove these mines, rather it is indifferent to removing mines even in areas of its control.

Abdul Ghani called for coordinating work to know where mines are distributed, with the aim of reducing the number of injuries, especially children who are more vulnerable while playing in agricultural areas.

It is not known how many mines were planted in Syria, especially after the start of the Syrian revolution in 2011, according to a military officer who defected from the Syrian regime forces, as they were planted randomly and without specifying any places.

The defecting officer confirms to Al-Jazeera Net that the Syrian regime is responsible for removing these mines, especially military engineering officers who have experience in maintaining and removing them.