Barran Press
On January 1, 2024, the Yemeni Landmine Monitor, a non-governmental organization, reported that 28 civilians were killed or injured due to Houthi landmine explosions during December 2023.
In a series of posts shared on X (monitored by Barran Press), the monitor detailed that their field teams documented 11 civilian fatalities, including two children, as a result of landmine blasts, explosive devices, and unexploded ordnance.
The report indicated that 17 civilians sustained injuries, six of whom were children, with these incidents also resulting in the destruction or damage of seven civilian vehicles. The casualties occurred across several mine-affected regions in five Yemeni governorates: Al-Hudaydah, Taiz, Al-Bayda, Al-Jawf, and Hajjah.
The monitor emphasized that hundreds of Yemenis injured by landmines and booby traps over the past year entered the new year with untreated wounds, highlighting the urgent need for ongoing medical care.
They expressed hope that 2024 would be a year of peace and security, calling for the Houthis to cease further landmine planting and to reach an agreement to provide maps of the mines, as well as to support demining teams.
According to United Nations reports, approximately two million landmines have been laid by the Houthi group, which is classified as a terrorist organization, in various areas they have occupied. These mines have resulted in more than 20,000 civilian casualties, predominantly affecting women and children. rights organizations have accused the Houthis of turning Yemen into the world's largest minefield, urging the group repeatedly to provide landmine maps to facilitate demining efforts.