Mines, unexploded ordnance threaten children’s lives in Yemen

ISTANBUL (AA) – Two children were killed and one was wounded this week in mine explosions in Yemen’s port city of Al-Hudaydah.

In war-torn Yemen, mines laid by Houthi rebels in residential areas and on roads continue to threaten the lives of children, despite international efforts to clear them.

Conflicts between the legitimate government and the Houthis, which had been occurring sporadically since the 1960s and have been ongoing for the past nine years, pose a serious security threat, especially for children living in rural areas.

According to UN reports, in June, eight people were killed in six mine explosions in Al-Hudaydah, one of the most heavily mined areas in Yemen.

The Yemen Executive Mine Action Center in the capital Sanaa reported that during a clearing operation in Al-Hudaydah covering an area of 21,478 square meters (231,187 square feet), 44 mines, one homemade explosive, two cluster munitions and 76 unexploded ordnances were rendered safe.

The Yemen Mine Action Coordination Center in Aden also announced that 3.6 square kilometers (1.39 square miles) of hazardous areas were identified in Al-Hudaydah, of which 8,000 square meters (86,111 square feet) were cleared and six unexploded ordnances were destroyed.

According to the Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance (MASAM) launched in Yemen, a total of 408,633 explosives have been destroyed since mid-2018.

In the operations conducted in a 48-square-kilometer (18.5-square-mile) area, more than 254,000 unexploded ordnances, over 6,000 anti-personnel mines, more than 140,000 anti-tank mines and approximately 8,000 improvised explosive devices were neutralized.

According to a study by the non-governmental organization Save the Children, approximately every two days, a child lost their life or was wounded in Yemen due to mines and unexploded ordnance in 2022.

The figures represent the highest level in the past five years.

In 2021, 199 children in Yemen fell victim to mines and unexploded ordnance, accounting for 55% of the total child deaths in the country.

In 2018, 68 child deaths were recorded due to mines and unexploded ordnance, making up 7% of all child deaths.

Children are at risk of exposure to these deadly war remnants during their daily activities such as playing, fetching water, collecting firewood and herding, as they are not familiar with mines and unexploded ordnance and do not know how to take precautions against them.

Children wounded by explosives commonly suffer from physical disabilities including limb loss, vision impairment and hearing loss.

Besides physical injuries, children affected by explosions experience psychological disorders such as sleep disturbances, fear and anxiety.

Also, in Yemen, where the healthcare system has collapsed, children wounded by mines and unexploded ordnance cannot access long-term health services such as rehabilitation and physical therapy that would reintegrate them into society.