This wedding photographer now removes landmines for a group that's won a top prize

Mofida Majzoub oversees a demining cognition successful Lebanon. A erstwhile wedding photographer, Majzoub switched careers to thief group surviving successful areas contaminated pinch landmines. Sean Sutton hide caption

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Sean Sutton

Hidden successful nan crushed of erstwhile battlefields crossed nan globe are astir 110 cardinal unexploded landmines — capable to encircle nan satellite twice. Each excavation has nan imaginable to detonate agelong aft it was placed during a conflict, posing a hidden threat agelong aft nan fighting stops.

Last year, landmines killed aliases wounded much than 5,700 people, nan immense mostly of whom were civilians, according to nan Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, an yearly study published by a consortium of non-profit groups.

The only measurement to neutralize nan threat of these mines is to region them, which is simply a earnestly risky business. The Mines Advisory Group, aliases MAG, has been successful that business for much than 35 years, operating successful much than 70 countries worldwide. This year, it received nan Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, 1 of nan astir prestigious humanitarian awards pinch a grounds $3 cardinal prize.

"Through its bonzer efforts to thief communities return to information and prosperity aft conflict, nan Mines Advisory Group exemplifies nan benignant of humanitarian excellence our Prize has sought to observe and animate complete nan past 3 decades," said Peter Laugharn, President and CEO of nan Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

Right now, that activity is particularly important successful Syria, which has reported complete 1,400 landmine casualties since nan Syrian civilian warfare ended successful December, 2024. NPR said pinch Mofida Majzoub of Lebanon, who leads demining efforts retired successful nan section for MAG successful Syria. We asked her astir nan threat posed by mines, nan nerve-wracking activity of removing them, and what keeps her coming backmost to this vulnerable statement of work.

This question and reply has been edited for magnitude and clarity.

Mofida Majzoub joined nan Mines Advisory Group successful 2016. She keeps her cool during risky demining operations by reminder herself that "I person done this earlier and tin do it again." Sean Sutton hide caption

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Sean Sutton

How did you get into this statement of work?

I utilized to beryllium a freelance wedding photographer. I was looking for a job, and I came crossed an advertisement for female de-miners, truthful I applied and since past it's go for illustration a large family to me.

That's rather nan jump. What did your friends and family make of that profession change?

They thought I was crazy, and they didn't judge I could do it. They thought this domain is only for group successful nan military. Most of nan group applying are male, too. But erstwhile I passed nan people and said I'm gonna subordinate nan program, they were a small spot worried, still to this day, but they've accepted it.

So you've been moving successful Syria since 2023. How are landmines affecting people's lives location since nan warfare ended successful 2024? 

It has a immense impact.

On a regular ground location are tons of casualties because of these bequest minefields that were near behind. After 13 aliases 14 years of warfare and displacement, group want to spell backmost to their location aliases onshore to usage it, and they deliberation possibly nan threat is complete now for them. But moreover erstwhile wars stop, nan threat is still successful nan ground. People are not capable to spell backmost to their houses to usage their onshore and commencement their life again. But nan threat is still there, and we request to return action to region this danger. 

Unfortunately, location are immoderate videos connected societal media wherever you tin find civilians removing mines. When group spot this, they deliberation it's easy and effort it themselves. After they region 5 aliases six mines, past an mishap happens and group are killed.

How do you spell astir doing it, tin you locomotion maine done a emblematic day?

Currently I'm responsible for 5 demining teams successful northeast Syria. The teams be nan guidelines astatine 7 o'clock successful nan morning, and we time off astatine 7:30 aft we hole our equipment. It usually takes astir 1 and a half to 2 hours to get to a site. Then we hole and calibrate nan detectors and start.

How do you find a mine? 

In immoderate areas you tin spot it, successful different areas it's buried. That's really casualties happen. We usage metallic detectors, and erstwhile we find a signal, we person to cheque to spot if this is simply a existent threat aliases conscionable different metallic object. Only aft excavation tin we corroborate whether nan entity is simply a mine, an improvised explosive device, aliases thing else.

What happens if it's a mine?

For each mine, we person rules for really to run and commencement our landmine clearance. We first disarm nan detonator, which intends we extremity nan detonator from functioning and trim nan train of explosion.

Then, we person machines that thief america assistance up nan mines. We don't region nan excavation directly.

Oh, arsenic successful you don't region it pinch your hands. Why not?

Because sometimes nan excavation could beryllium boobytrapped aliases attached to different items that could activate it. So we either usage a pulley from a safe distance, aliases we usage nan machines. Once we propulsion retired nan mine, we person to hold a fewer minutes conscionable successful lawsuit it is connected to different mine. After a fewer minutes, we afloat region nan fuse. Then nan excavation is wholly safe.

What is it for illustration being truthful adjacent to thing that could rustle if you make 1 incorrect move?

It needs a batch of courageousness and concentration, because nan first correction is nan past one. But you cannot beryllium wholly tense aliases freaking retired because erstwhile you freak retired you suffer control. But decidedly this small fearfulness wrong still exists.

How do you cope, personally?

It's a mobility of staying focused and disciplined. I travel nan rules and punctual myself that I person done this earlier and tin do it again.

How overmuch much activity is location to do successful Syria? Are you nearing nan extremity of your activity there, aliases are location galore much mines near to clear?

It will return years. 10 to 15 years, it will return years.

What keeps you coming backmost to this vulnerable work, time aft day?

It's an addiction. Because erstwhile you consciousness that you did thing bully astatine nan extremity of nan day, that we saved a life, aliases made onshore safe for group and their children, you cannot stop.