A year has passed since 12-year old Mohammed lost his right leg in a mine explosion near his home in Al-Khouah village, Taiz governorate in northern Yemen. However, he has been in pay since.
Mohammed told Project Masam: “My life became very difficult after I lost my leg in a mine explosion while I was going up to play on a hill near our house. Eventually, I lost my most basic rights as a child, and I was no longer able to play with my friends. In addition, my disability has deprived me of going to school for more than a year because of my inability to move.”
Mohammed compares his condition before and after the accident, saying: “Before the mine explosion, I used to move a lot and play football, but now with my legs, I can no longer play football, run, or even walk, and I am not the only one who suffers, as there are other children whose limbs have been amputated like me.”
As for his return to school, young Mohammed explained: “After I got an artificial leg, I was able to move via it, thus I returned to school to continue my education because it is my only chance to overcome my disability and create a better future for myself.”
Mohammed hopes that no more landmines will be planted in Yemeni cities and regions, as they are the main cause of civilian casualties and injuries – including thousands of children in Yemen. The teenager thanked Project Masam and all its demning teams, because he claimed, deminers save children, women, and the elderly from the mines.
Children in Yemen live under the daily threat of death or injury due to the mines planted by the Houthi militia in most Yemeni regions, which has become one of the biggest threats to the lives of Yemenis, especially children.
According to human rights reports, from June 2014 to February 2022, mines killed 429 children and injured 723 others in 17 Yemeni governorates.
