Residents in Bani Hussein village in Hiran District, north of Yemen’s Hajjah Governorate, have discovered landmines that were carried into farmland and public roads by floodwaters following a low pressure system that hit the area on Saturday (28 March).
Floodwaters, or wind, can displace landmines from their original positions and transport them over long distances, and when water enters or erodes the surrounding soil, it can destabilise the fuze system or expose the device, leaving it armed, unpredictable, and more sensitive to pressure or movement.
Local sources said anti-vehicle mines were found scattered across roads and populated areas after being displaced by the floods. The explosives pose a serious threat to civilians as floodwaters have moved them into unpredictable locations, often leaving them hidden beneath mud and debris, which makes them difficult to detect.
Project Masam had earlier warned residents in areas affected by heavy rains to exercise extreme caution, especially in flood prone locations. The project also stressed the need to keep children away from such areas and to report any suspicious objects immediately to demining teams to prevent further casualties.
Landmines planted by Houthi forces continue to pose a deadly risk to civilians in liberated districts, including Midi, Hiran, Haradh and Abs. In one of the latest incidents, three children were killed and a fourth seriously injured in mid March when a landmine exploded while they were herding sheep in Bani Hassan village, north of Abs District.
