Fouad Abdullah Qassem’s story

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Fouad Abdullah Qassem went to check on livestock after he heard a few animals were killed by an explosion. Little did he know that he was walking on a minefield.

As he inspected the area, the father of five walked on a landmine.

“There was an explosion of livestock in Tabat Bel Khalf and I went to check what happened, a mine exploded under me as soon as I arrived,” Qassem told Project Masam.

“After the landmine explosion, I could not feel anything, I was completely unconscious.”

Luckily, a Masam team was working in the area, and was immediately dispatched to retrieve him from the ground where he laid unconscious.

The team blocked off the entire area to ensure others wouldn’t face the same fate.

“If Masam teams had not been present and helped move me from the area after the explosion, other civilians next to me would have been injured trying to save me, because the entire area is planted with mines,” Qassem added.

Following the landmine explosion, the workman’s left leg was amputated and he lost fingers on his right hand. Qassem was fitted with a prosthetic leg, but unfortunately, not much can be done for his severely injured right leg.

“I was working as a labourer before the explosion and I have five children, three girls and two boys, and after the explosion I can no longer work,” he explained.

His children now care for their father, who hopes Yemen can one day be free from landmines.

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