Dina Mahmoud (London)
With the terrorist Houthi militia continuing to undermine the various regional and international efforts aimed at reviving the armistice in Yemen, international circles have warned of the escalation of the danger of mines planted by the militants of the coup gang, on a number of battle fronts, in light of the escalating human losses resulting from resorting to this prohibited weapon. against civilians, during the months in which the lull was implemented.
According to estimates revealed by a report prepared by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, these mines and remnants of unexploded ordnance are one of the main causes of civilian casualties in various parts of Yemen, especially during the period in which the armistice held, between April 2 and early October.
During these six months, the explosion of landmines, which are blamed for being planted on the coup militants, as well as the munitions that remained unexploded as a result of their aggressive attacks on populated areas, resulted in the death of about 350 Yemeni civilians, including 95 dead and 248 wounded.
According to the report published by the United Nations website, “Relief Web”, this number is approximately 20 percent higher than that recorded in the six months prior to the entry into force of the truce, which was reached under UN auspices, which did not exceed 248 dead and wounded. Of these, 101 died and 147 were injured.
In a clear indication of the responsibility of the Houthi militia for the death of this number of civilians, the UN report indicated that the Yemeni areas most affected by the explosions of landmines and unexploded ordnance are those located around the front lines, in the governorates of Hodeidah and Al-Jawf, in which the coup militants escalated. their attacks, during the past few months.
The report states that the largest number of victims of Houthi mine explosions during the armistice period occurred during the month of July, in which 51 people were killed and injured, followed by September with 43 dead and injured, and then June with 40 victims.
While the report quoted representatives of international relief organizations as calling for the need to intensify efforts to force all parties to support efforts to re-establish the armistice in Yemen, human rights activists demanded the application of the principles of “transitional justice”, which opens the door to accountability of the Houthi militia for its crimes against Yemeni civilians, especially With regard to the losses resulting from random laying of mines, in areas adjacent to many cities, villages and towns.
According to independent sources, the coup militants deployed these mines in approximately 18 of the 23 Yemeni governorates. Evidence also indicates that they resorted to this satanic method with great intensity, in a way that made it difficult for independent experts to count the number of mines planted by the Houthis. on or near combat fronts, or around areas under their control.
Weeks before the end of the armistice on the second of last month, workers in organizations responsible for demining mines in Yemen said that there may be no less than 800,000 landmines, which constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, which prohibits the use of anti-personnel mines, which are the type The most common, which the Houthis tend to resort to.
In addition to the human losses resulting from the explosion of these mines, the planting of many of them in agricultural lands and around water sources prevented Yemeni farmers from reaching their lands, and also deprived them of benefiting from the water resources that they desperately need, at a time when imports of materials are scarce. Food coming from abroad, due to the consequences of the Ukrainian crisis.
Experts warn that the planting of Houthi landmines in rural areas of Yemen and around water networks also prevents the agricultural lands located there from obtaining the required care or irrigation, which causes long-term damages that will continue to affect them as long as they are not removed. Explosives.
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