Since 2015, the Houthi militia has planted landmines and explosive devices, extensively and randomly, across Yemen.
Schools have sadly been one of the targets of the militia – they have been used as military barracks and have been booby-trapped – which locals claim was done to spread fear and terror among young people, and put a stop to their education.
Al-Shaab School in Jabal Habashi District in Taiz Governorate, is one of the hundreds of schools that were blown up by Houthi landmines, which deprived 500 students of continuing their educational process normally and took the limbs and lives of others.
Sheikh Abd al-Rahman al-Neweehy, the sheikh of Akkad region, in Jabal Habashi district, told Project Masam that hundreds of students of the Akkad region have been displaced from the Al-Shaab School. After landmines destroyed half of the school building, they were forced to attend other schools – far from their homes.
Sheikh Neweehy said: ”We were shocked by an explosion that rocked the entire district, while returning from Eid al-Adha prayer in the morning.
“We were quickly on the scene to find out that half of Akkad’s Al Shaab School was leveled to the ground because of the landmines stored under its classrooms.
“The blast destroyed the entire half of the school; a matter which resulted in a suffering for all the inhabitants of Akkad village and the displacement of 500 male and female students in other schools that are far from their village. Hence, the children’s happiness with the feast turned into a tragic event and a painful episode of their life.”
Sheikh Neweehy pointed out that Project Masam addressed the issue and started demining the school. As long as landmines and explosives are still under the rubble, only a handful of students are able to learn in the remaining classes of Grade 6.
The Sheikh explained that Project Masam responded to the locals’ report by assigning Team 22 to demine Al-Shaab school, and help parents and school staff by lowering their fears that students could be injured or killed, given the proximity of the explosion site – which is off bounds.
“We hope that Masam will continue demining Al Shaab Akkad School and clear all landmines from under the rubble so that safety can be returned to the school.”
Abandoning schools
The head of Jabal Habashi district, west of Taiz Governorate in Yemen’s southwest, Far’es al-Maleky warned that the majority of parents in his area had stopped sending their children to school because of the presence of landmines near or in these schools.
On the other hand, some parents had no other choice but to send their children to school, Far’es al-Maleky told Project Masam.
The humanitarian landmine clearance project carries out an integrated clearance process in the village of Akkad’s Al-Shaab school, where they are conducting a clean-up operation, carried out safeguarding training for workers, provided protection and supporting the workers.
Al-Maleky described the situation at the Al-Shaab School as a “real disaster”, because children were sent to study in a vicinity that abounded with landmines – without being aware of their presence.
He explained: “Several months ago, one of the students of Al-Shaab school lifted part of an explosive device from the ground and took it with him to home where it exploded, causing him to lose his fingertips”.
The clearance process in Al Shaab school is a highly sensitive one, as the deminers have to clear landmines from the ground, as well as those potentially buried under rubble, whilst ensuring a safe access to the clearance sites.
Al-Maleky highlighted how Masam’s operation in Al Shaab School would contribute to paving the way for other specialised professionals needed to rehabilitate the buildings. They have so far refused to carry out their construction work because of the landmine threat, the Director said.
Al-Maleky said that Masam, represented in Engineer Aref Al Qahtani, who supervises Masam’s demining teams in Taiz, has a long history in the domain of landmine clearance, especially in difficult areas and conditions.
Indeed, Masam has cleared several areas in the area that were planted with hundreds of landmines – which had hampered the return of displaced civilians.
“I’d like to thank the demining team on the ground, wishing wellbeing for all of them; I’d like to thank ,in particular, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their humanitarian work with Yemenis in such a hard time.”
