Clown Show in South Lebanon Teaches Children Mine Safety
The ICRC staged a clown performance in southern Lebanon's Tyre district to teach children how to avoid land mines and unexploded ordnance.
The International Committee of the Red Cross held an awareness event for children in southern Lebanon's Tyre district on Monday, using a clown performance to warn them about land mines and unexploded ordnance.
The event took place at the municipality hall in Burj al-Shemali village, where performers from the "Clown Me In" group acted out situations that children and their parents might face in areas affected by explosives and remnants of war.
The performance comes as residents return to areas heavily affected by recent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, where unexploded ordnance may still endanger people travelling along roads and returning to their homes.
The clowns delivered their central message through a simple Arabic jingle: "Stop, don't touch, call someone." Children were encouraged to stay away from suspicious objects and to call 1706, a national hotline for reporting mines and unexploded ordnance launched by the Lebanon Mine Action Centre.
"Currently, with people returning home and the daily movement along roads, some areas that were more exposed to violence or military operations are also more likely to contain unexploded ordnance," said Jessica Ibrahim, an ICRC weapons contamination field manager. She said the theatre format carries a simple but important message to children and parents, urging them to follow basic safety rules to protect their own lives and those of their loved ones.
The show combined safety messages with comedy and audience participation, as children watched the clowns act out dangerous situations and practised how to respond. A character portraying a Lebanon Mine Action Centre official appeared on stage to handle calls about the hazards.
Stephanie Sotiry, a performer with the Clown Me In group, said the shows also help children cope with the difficult circumstances around them. "After everything that has happened, and everything that is still happening, when you come here it helps these children at least to change the atmosphere a little," Sotiry said. "And most importantly, our message reaches them."
The event aimed to reinforce basic safety rules among children and families living in communities where explosive remnants of war remain a potential threat.