Sunshine, children running, laughing, and playing – it’s a childhood idyll that is not experienced by many children. We don’t expect our children to be at risk from death or injury from explosive remnants while they are playing, but many children can’t access places to play because of the danger from mines, unexploded grenades, or tear gas canisters. The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Palestine has been working in Gaza and the West Bank since 2010 to mitigate the risks posed by explosive hazards of war and mines. We do this by providing technical guidance and support, offering risk education to those most vulnerable, supporting clearance, conducting risk assessments, and maintaining emergency preparedness measures. UNMAS has helped clear thousands of explosive hazards in Palestine to make the land safe for children to play in the aftermath of conflicts.
Particularly in the context of ongoing conflict and occupation, it is important for girls and boys to have that modicum of normalcy, to be able to play safely and freely, whether in a safe place to run around or play games, or in a more formal space to play various sports. UNMAS has used sports to engage with the community and deliver mine-risk education in the State of Palestine since it began working there. This year on the April 4, which marks the International Day of Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, UNMAS organized a football tournament in Gaza in collaboration with UNRWA. Teams made up of UNRWA schoolgirls faced off in a skillful and energetic match, and afterwards, teams made up of players from the Palestine Amputee Football Association competed for a trophy. Children and adults cheered from the sidelines and danced to music blaring from speakers. The day allowed children and youth to gather and to play sports in a safe and secure environment, far from the usual tense atmosphere that those living in Gaza have grown accustomed to. Play is such an important part of childhood development that the United Nations has recognized it as a right for every child, and UNMAS was honored to be a part of a day that allowed the children of Gaza to enjoy that right. In the lead-up to the day, UNMAS also organized a drawing competition at several schools in vulnerable communities in Gaza. The winners of the drawing competition received a prize, and their pictures were displayed in an exhibition during the day’s festivities and then auctioned at an international photography exhibition organized by the Swiss consulate to raise money for the Palestine Amputee Football Association.

UNMAS understands the importance of play in its risk-education program. A vital part of UNMAS work in Gaza is providing risk education on the threats of explosive remnants of war. UNMAS has introduced specialized sessions for children that send the message through play such as games, puppet shows, role playing, theater, music, and dance to ensure that children receive the important safety messaging in an easily accessible manner. Through such interactive and fun risk-education sessions, UNMAS has been able to reach over 76,000 children since 2015.

Convention on the Rights of the Child
Article 31- Right to Play: States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.

At a recent risk-education session in Rafah, thirteen-year-old Amir said: “This knowledge is very important as we learned about the risky behaviors that we see other kids do. I like the way you do this with games and songs. I think if the other kids know it is this fun, they will come to all sessions like this.” Twelve-year-old Ahmad reiterated how the vital lifesaving messages provided to the children through play are received: “It is nice because the trainer gives us this information through games which is very enjoyable. The time feels shorter when we do it by games. I think I will not forget what was said in the session.”

The UN has just launched a five-year campaign called Safe Ground to bring attention and assistance to the survivors of armed conflict through the promotion of sport and the Sustainable Development Goals. The campaign slogan? “To turn minefields into playing fields.” UNMAS is one of the UN organizations that is working in Palestine to ensure that children have Safe Ground to play on.

Sport and play are human rights, fostering a sustainable peace to bring communities and people closer together. Safe Ground aims to work in conflict-affected areas to clear explosive remnants from sport-oriented infrastructure, stadiums, sporting complexes, or spaces where sports can be played so that girls and boys, women and men (with or without a disability) can play. Once a field or stadium is cleared, the Safe Ground can be used for play, for education; and in the case of a stadium, it can be used to generate financial resources for assistance to the victims/survivors of explosive hazards. Each Safe Ground project will consider access for all and will promote survivor participation, ensure gender inclusivity, and raise awareness about survivors of explosive hazards. Perhaps most importantly in Palestine, each Safe Ground project will aim to provide a safe and friendly space where children can play in their communities.