Amir Sharif Ahmed Yahya Al-Amri’ story

PHOTO-2022-12-03-23-23-10
Stories of pain and tragedy are similar across Yemen. As soon as one wound heals, other wounds open up.
Perhaps the deepest and most painful wounds are those afflicting children, which suffer as a result of Houthi remnants of war – including improvised explosive devices (IEDs), landmines and other unexploded ordnance – in various Yemeni cities and villages that fell under their control.
A young child, Amir Sharif Ahmed Yahya Al-Amri, a resident of al-Matar al-Qadeem area, in Al-Mudhaffar district, in Taiz governorate, lost his leg and lost his uncle and his cousin in the same landmine explosion.
Tawfiq Ahmed Yahya Al-Amri, Amir’s father, told Project Masam about the details of the shocking tragedy that suddenly struck his family members, who were killed and wounded in the yard of their house on October 30, 2022.
“The children were playing in the yard of the house, and my brother was sitting next to them when a Houthi landmine exploded,” Tawfiq explained.
“He died immediately as a shrapnel nestled in his head, his son met the same fate and Amir’s leg was amputated and he was injured by scattered shrapnel throughout his body
He added: “I cannot describe Amir’s condition, he did not cry despite his deep wounds, and when he arrived at the hospital, he asked us to cover him because he felt very cold.
“He was like an old man staring at me with looks as if it was a farewell, or as if it was his last look in this life, and I do not know the reason for that, whether it was fear, the landmine or the sound of the explosion.”
Tawfiq remembered the moment he gave first aid to his son Sami, saying: “Sami suffered scattered fractures, and his arteries were ruptured.”
He continued: “We rushed to the hospital, at that time he was in a condition where you could not tell whether he was alive or dead, the doctors told us that he needed a blood transfusion.
“The blood was transfused to his ruptured arteries for 12 hours (from 6 PM until 6 AM), this moment marked the separation between his soul and his body, all due to a Houthi landmine.”
The impacts of the disaster that rocked Tawfiq’s family still affected him as he spoke to Masam.
He said: “While seeking shelter in your own house, a Houthi landmine suddenly hits you and deprives you of your children and your wife.. It is an unforgivable crime.
“The scene of my brother trying to save his son and wife is still stuck in my memory with tiny details; the shock and sadness do not only cast a shadow on me and my family, but also cast a shadow on the entire neighborhood. This is literally a disaster.”
Tawfiq added: “They are meek civilians, not soldiers. They did not stand up to confront the Houthis with weapons.
“They are looking for a morsel of food to satisfy their hunger. Most of the residents of the region depend on grazing sheep as a source of livelihood, and they also depend on firewood as a compensation for the lack of gas. They go to the wells on foot to satisfy their thirst. They walk with trembling steps due to their fear, praying along the way, as they realise that the death planted under the soil may snatch their souls at any moment, and perhaps they will not return to their home except in coffins or funerals, and as charred body parts.”
Tawfiq went on to say if the Houthis had an iota of humanity left, they should fear God and care for the children and women, and even the cattle which “body parts are scattered”.
As he patted Amir’s shoulder as he sat on his lap, Tawfiq said: “This child has an amputated leg and the three other children are also amputees.”
The little boy’s father is worried about his future. He is also concerned about the fact little Amir will need “a double moral effort and special psychological rehabilitation so that he can overcome his affliction and forget it, to jump over the many difficulties of life with one leg”.
Regarding Project Masam’s humanitarian landmine clearance operations in Yemen, Tawfiq said: “The task of Masam’s teams is a great humanitarian role and contributes to alleviating the suffering of civilians, but we ask them, from the humanitarian standpoint with which they are known, to intensify efforts and try to reduce the number of victims, remove mines, and deadly Houthi explosives as much as possible.”

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