Explosive ordnance continues to injure and kill civilians in Deir Ez-Zor, Syria

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) published a report Explosive Remnants of War – Lasting Harm in Deir Ez-Zor, Syria on the human and health impact of explosive ordnance contamination in Deir Ez-Zor governorate. It highlights the key barriers to accessing timely, comprehensive, and specialised care, as well as the critical role of mine action actors in the governorate. The report draws on Doctors Without Borders and the Directorate of Health (DoH) medical data, covering the period from April 2025 to April 2026, as well as operational observations and interviews with patients, caretakers, and medical professionals involved in the provision of care. 

Between April 2025 and April 2026, Doctors Without Borders and DoH teams in the emergency room of Deir Ez-Zor National Hospital treated more than 215 people injured by landmines, unexploded ordnance, and abandoned explosives. Nearly half of the patients were children. During this period, 24 people died from their injuries, and 58 patients underwent traumatic amputations.