Abdullah Fayedi and his family were forced to flee their village when fighting erupted during Yemen’s long conflict. Like thousands of others, they spent years displaced inside the country, moving from one temporary shelter to another as the war destroyed homes, farms, and livelihoods. After many years of displacement, Abdullah finally returned to his liberated…
Ilham Sahili is 13 years old and lives in Al-Awaa village, in the Bani Hassan area of Abs district, north of Hajjah governorate, Yemen. One day, a landmine planted by Houthi militias near her home exploded, and her life changed forever. Speaking to Project Masam, Ilham recalled: “I used to carry food for my family…
On 2 April 2020, mechanical engineer Khamaj Abkar returned to his home and farm in the village of Al-Khadra, located in the Hiran district of Hajjah governorate, Yemen. His return was a hopeful step toward reclaiming a stable life after more than four years of displacement caused by the ongoing Yemeni Civil War. However, this…
It was supposed to be a day of laughter and reconnecting with loved ones. Ahmed Seif was on a family visit when he stumbled on a landmine. The father-of-three at the time lost both legs in the blast. He was able to access emergency care, and stayed 25 days in hospital before he was discharged,…
Like every child in the world, seven-year-old Ahmed Salem Salahum eagerly waited for the morning to play. He loved spending time with his classmates and friends in his village after returning from school. But young Ahmed also used to hear warnings from his parents and teachers in the classroom about landmines. With anxious-ridden faces, they…
More often than not in Yemen, women bear the burdens of running the households under extreme stress. Fathia Saleh Muhammad Bin Muhammad comes from Taiz. When the frontlines moved closer and closer, the roads and dirt paths near her were closed off. The family struggled to meet their daily needs. “We did not have firewood,…
Saeed Abdul Qaher was walking with his cousins when they triggered a landmine. The severity of the teenager’s injuries meant that his left leg was amputated. Because of the pain and the medical care he received, Saeed was unable to study. While he says he is unable to walk long distances today, he is fighting to…
Aml Ahmed, a young Yemeni woman from Matar district in Taiz, was full of hope and happiness. She had a dream to complete her university education while she was preparing for her wedding. Like many young woman, Aml always dreamed of the day she would get married. It took one incident to shatter her dreams.…
This is Farah. Though her name means joy, landmines have left her no joy, but just a name. She recognised the pains of oppression and injustice at the age of ten. These pains have grown up with her to this very moment. At the age of eight, Farah knew that there was a coup in…
Ahmed Seif Mahyoub left his house to visit his parents in the village of Ekad, in Jabal Habashi District in Yemen’s Taiz Governorate, when he walked on a landmine. Ahmed’s legs were torn apart. In an interview with Project Masam, Ahmed said, “I was going to visit my family whom I hadn’t seen for a…
