Addressing Explosive Ordnance Risks to Enable Safe Return and Humanitarian Access in Homs Governorate, Syria

Syria continues to face significant Explosive Ordnance (EO) contamination as a legacy of more than a decade of armed conflict. Millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees wish to return to their areas of origin, but EO contamination in residential areas, agricultural land, and critical infrastructure represents a life-threatening obstacle to safe return and early recovery. Communities face acute risks from contamination that affects their daily lives and livelihoods.

Homs Governorate, located in central Syria, is among the country's most heavily mine-contaminated areas. According to the Mine Action Area of Responsibility (MA AoR), between 8 December 2024 and 30 May 2026, 125 EO-related accidents have been recorded in 14 sub-districts, resulting in more than 249 casualties, making it one of the most affected governorates nationwide. The presence of EO severely hampers humanitarian and recovery operations, restricts civilian mobility, and impedes the safe return of displaced populations.

Out of the 23 sub-districts in Homs governorate, this database indicates that 12 have been subject to (NTS): Al-Qusayr in Al-Qusayr district; Tall Kalakh, Hadideh and Hawash in Tall Kalakh district; Hasyaa, Homs, Kherbet Tin Noor, Mahin, Qabu, Qaryatein, Shin and Taldu in Homs district. However, NTS information remains incomplete in these sub-districts. Information is absent for the remaining 11 sub-districts: Sokhneh and Tadmor in Tadmor district; Ar-Rastan and Talbiseh in Ar-Rastan district; Al Makhrim and Jeb Ej-Jarrah in Al Makhrim district; Farqalas, Ein Elniser, Sadad and Raqama in Homs district; and Nasra in Tall Kalakh district.

Under this Call for Proposals, a grant will be issued to consolidate information on EO contamination at the sub-district level and to mitigate EO risks to the population in response to that information.

1. Targeted impact of the grant

This grant aims to mitigate EO risks and support access to agricultural land, residential areas and critical infrastructure in Homs Governorate. In doing so, it will contribute to the safe return of displaced Syrians and refugees and the delivery of humanitarian and early recovery operations.