Four civilians from the Al-Tahita District in Al-Hudaydah Governorate have been injured in a landmine blast, Project Masam can confirm.
Masam’s humanitarian mine clearance teams operate throughout Yemen in seven Governorates, including Al-Hudaydah located on Yemen’s west coast. The Governorate has been badly affected by Houthi landmines which continue to threaten the lives and livelihoods of villagers and farmers.
On 29 June, local sources told Project Masam that four residents of the Al-Tahita District – Ahmed Salem Ahmed Salem Rami, Abdo Ahmed Othman Sbeiba, Ali Ahmed Othman Sbeiba, Ahmed Awad and Wahib Ghorab – were seriously injured when a mine exploded in the vicinity of their area under Houthi control along the Zabid line, located southwest of the district center.
Similar incidents have been reported since mid-2017 in Al-Tahita District, where civilians have successively returned after being displaced by the conflict.
“Landmines continue to govern the lives of civilians not only on their farms, but also inside their communities. This crime is not the first and will not be the last due to the number of mines planted by the Houthi militias,” Ousama Algosaibi, Programme Manager for Project Masam, said.
Clearing landmines – including anti-personnel and anti-tank mines – in Al-Hudaydah Governorate is essential to restore normalcy and re-establish stability and development in the region.
Between 19 June and 25 June 2021 in Al-Hudaydah Governorate alone, Project Masam teams have cleared 12,600sqm of liberated land, effectively locating and destroying 36 anti-tank mines and 16 unexploded ordnance.
Please note the photograph shown is for illustration purpose only.
