A human rights organisation has found that thousands of people have been killed by landmines in Yemen since the beginning of the war.
In a report, the Human Rights Office in the governorate of Al Jawf documented 101 human rights violations inflicted by Houthi landmines across the governorate’s districts during 2022.
In its report, the Human Rights Office mentioned that in 2022, the Houthi mines killed 34 persons and caused injuries to 67 others – most of whom sustained permanent disabilities. This is in addition to 45 cases among the family members of the landmine victims who suffered psychological traumas as well as the destruction of 73 cars owned by civilians, the report stated.
The Human rights reports documented also the killing of 2,818 civilians and the injury of 3,655 others by the Houthi landmines during the period from April 2014 to March 2022.
Because of the protracted armed conflict and the fact that victims’ data is not centrally recorded, the actual number of casualties is believed to be higher than those registered and reported.
According to a report issued by several Yemeni human rights organisations, 534 children, 177 women, and 143 elderly people were killed by the landmines laid by the militia. This is in addition to the injury of 854 children, 255 women, and 147 old people in 17 governorates with the largest number of casualties being reported in Taiz during the same period, the report said.
The Landmines: A nightmare haunting the Yemenis report launched in a press conference in the governorate of Ma’rib revealed that over the past eight years, 12,069 violations against civilians and civilian properties were committed by the militia, in addition to the damaging of 5,085 buildings including government facilities and private properties.
The Yemeni Landmine Records — a group that tracks civilian land mine fatalities in the country — said that the landmines laid by the militia in several areas in Yemen caused the death and injury of hundreds of civilians including women and children within 15 months.
According to the Human Rights Monitor, “Yemen is suffering from a real catastrophe because of the wide-ranged pollution caused by the remnants of war including landmines, explosive devices, and unexploded ordnance”.
The Yemeni Landmine Records documented during the period from the beginning of 2021 to the 4 April 2022 the killing and injury of 363 civilians including women and children by landmines, explosive devices, and unexploded ordnance in large areas of Yemen.
It also indicated the killing of 176 civilians including 25 children, nine women, and six demining workers, in addition to the injury of 187 civilians including 83 children, 12 women, and two other demining workers.
Deaths and injuries, however, would probably have been much higher had Project Masam and others not been active in removing explosive devices.
