Houthi mines have deepened poverty in Yemen
English - Monday 12 October 2020 الساعة 06:06 pm
Aden, NewsYemen, Exclusive:
The landmine problem inside Yemen prevents people from leading a normal life, fending for themselves and preventing the poor from receiving the aid they need.
Mines, along with other factors, exacerbate the problem of poverty, and according to the United Nations, 80% of the population is at risk of suffering from severe hunger and disease.
Over the past five and a half years, the Houthi militia has laid many landmines in large areas around the country, often in crowded areas that contain hospitals and schools.
Government reports indicate that landmines are so widespread that clearing them all may take several decades.
Currently, experts believe that the death toll from landmines is over 9,000.
Humanitarian workers confirm that landmines prevent relief aid from reaching the needy, and landmines prevent humanitarian organizations from crossing distances to reach people and areas in need.
Human Rights Watch had confirmed in its reports that the Yemenis were unable to complete the simple tasks necessary for survival, such as planting crops and obtaining clean water, due to the presence of landmines.
Economists assert that landmines in Yemen have dire consequences for the daily lives of citizens, which prevents them from overcoming many of the negative effects of poverty.
According to demining experts, some landmines are equipped to be more lethal, and an anti-tank mine that normally needs 220 pounds of weight to detonate may need 22 pounds of pressure to detonate with modifications.
Yemen is going through several crises, one of these problems is the large number of landmines and improvised explosive devices scattered across the country.
The abundant use of anti-personnel and anti-vehicle landmines by the Houthis represents a strategic decision to defend their withdrawals from cities, and mine clearance experts estimate the multiplicity of what the Houthi militia planted in separate parts of the country by about one million mines.
Economists agree that clearing landmines is not only necessary to prevent death and injury, but it is also necessary so that the Yemeni people can support themselves.
Clearance of mines also allows Yemeni citizens to receive the assistance they need from international donors, at a time when the country faces many overlapping crises.
