Awareness on Explosive Risks & Child Protection : SACPPE holds community safety meetings in Uri villages

Uri, July 15: The South Asia Centre for Peace and People’s Empowerment (SACPPE), in collaboration with UNICEF, held a series of impactful Community/Mohalla meetings in the border villages of Zammorpattan and Gingal in Uri, Baramulla district, to raise awareness about the risks of unexploded ordnance (UXOs) and the importance of child protection in conflict-prone areas.A statement issued here said that held under the ongoing UNICEF-supported initiative titled “Improving behaviours and building resilience among border communities and ensuring comprehensive child protection and reduced explosive ordnance-related casualties through Child Friendly Spaces and EORE,” the meetings witnessed enthusiastic participation from hundreds of community members, including local leaders, teachers, women, volunteers and children. The sessions, facilitated by SACPPE’s trained staff and experts from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), focused on the hidden dangers posed by unexploded shells and landmines often left behind during cross-border shelling near the Line of Control (LoC)—a reality the residents of Uri have long lived with. In Zammorpattan, a quiet hamlet that has seen repeated displacement due to shelling, the gathering was both emotional and informative. Local elders shared first-hand accounts of children and livestock falling victim to unexploded munitions. In response, SDRF officials conducted live demonstrations on how to identify suspicious objects, what to avoid, and how to report such findings safely to local authorities. “These aren’t just safety sessions—they’re about saving lives,” said SACPPE’s field coordinator, who emphasised the urgent need for community-level awareness in remote villages that often receive little formal training. The Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) model was also introduced as a way to build resilience among children living in high-risk zones. Volunteers discussed the impact of trauma, displacement, and fear on children, and the need for mental health support, routine, and safety education. In Gingal, schoolteachers committed to incorporating Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) into regular classroom activities. Community leaders, including sarpanches and imams, pledged to disseminate safety messaging through Friday sermons and village meetings. “We may live on the border, but our children should not live on the edge of fear,” said a local sarpanch. The event concluded with the formation of Child Protection Groups (CPGs) in both villages and the distribution of IEC materials—posters, leaflets, and safety charts in Urdu. SACPPE said these sessions are part of a wider effort to create a culture of collective responsibility and ensure that no child is left vulnerable to preventable tragedies in one of the most militarized regions of the world.