During 2017, Mwatana documented no less than 25 incidents of explosion of landmines, most of which took place in Taizz. In these incidents, the Mwatana documented the death of at least 14 civilians, including three women and two children, and the wounding of at least 46 others, including 19 women and 14 children. Ansar Allah group (the Houthis) and the forces of their former ally, former President Saleh are responsible for planting these landmines.

On April 4, 2017, Mwatana released “Concealed Killer” report where it documented 33 incidents of explosion of landmines planted by Ansar Allah (the Houthis) and the Pro-Saleh forces. Mwatana verified such incidents during the period between July 2015 and October 2016 in six governorates.[1]

The Legal Framework

Landmines cause serious damages both to soldiers in the battlefield or civilian victims. By nature, they cause unnecessary suffering and deep wounds. They cause permanent disability to the victims. Landmines exceed the legitimate object set forth in St. Petersburg Declaration that, “the only legitimate object which States should endeavour to accomplish during war is to weaken the military forces of the enemy”. This purpose can be achieved by disabling the greatest possible number of men without causing serious injuries to them exceeding the object. The employment of arms is therefore banned according to the International Humanitarian Law.

Anti-Personnel landmines include every reason for banning them from being used. Long after the end of an armed conflict, they remain in the ground and kill or injure civilians, causing them to suffer permanent disabilities. The Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines is also officially known as the Convention of the Prohibition of the use, stockpiling, production, development and transfer of anti-personnel mines, (the Ottawa Convention). It imposes a comprehensive ban on anti-personnel mines by prohibiting the use, stockpiling, production, development and transfer of anti-personnel mines. It requires the clearance and destruction of these mines, whether stored or planted on the ground. By adopting this Convention, states agreed for the first time in the history of International Humanitarian Law to ban a weapon that was widely used in many parts of the world.

Yemen ratified the Convention of the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines of 1997, in September 1998.

Incidents:

• On Monday April 3, 2017, at about 11:30 am, a landmine exploded in Al-Jufainah village, Marib governorate as Hussein Ali Hussein Al-Huzmi (10 years old) was trying to remove a stone from the road so that his father, farmer Ali Hussien Al-Huzmi (35 years old), would be able to move ahead with his truck. They were both injured in the explosion.

In his statement to Mwatana for Human Rights, Hussien said: I did not go to school that day to help my father in collecting stones on our truck to sell them. We drove into Al-Jufainah area, collected and loaded stones on the truck. When we finished, we followed the same route back to downtown. We parked by the side of the road because of a large stone blocking our way. My father parked near the stone and asked me to remove it from under the left front wheel. I removed the sand around the stone and tried to move it. I heard a loud explosion. Dust and stones were blown into my face as the explosion threw me to the back. My father was screaming: Hussien! Hussien! Are you alright? I was on the ground and could not reply. I was crying and saying: My eyes and face, dad!”[2]

The child then added that his father called his uncle who took them to the Marib General Hospital in the city. He continued: “I am not able to see with my eyes anymore and I have no idea if I would be able to see agai. My face and neck are disfigured because of the shrapnel and small stones. My father became disabled due to the amputation of his left leg, and his physical and psychological health is not well. We depend on agriculture and collecting stones. My father used to manage these things to earn our living. His disability would affect our livelihood”. [3]

Ameen Hussien Ali Al-Huzmi (38 years old) who took his brother and his nephew to the Marib General Hospital on his car, said: “Al-Jufainah area where my brother and his son went was a battle ground of fierce fighting between the Houthis and Popular Resistance. The Houthis planted landmines in the area before withdrawing from it in late 2015”.[4]

 

• On Sunday June 11, 2017 at about 11:00 am a Toyta pick-up truck was hit in a landmine explosion, in a dirt road connecting Al-Badda’ah area and Salam area, to the north west of Al-Ghail area in Al-Jawf governorate. Aboard the car were a number of women and children en route to Al-Hazm Market to sell goats and buy Eid stuff/ items. About 300 meters away, one of the rescuers’ car was hit by another landmine explosion. The two incidents left one woman dead and 11 others wounded, including one child.

In an interview with Mwatana for Human Rights, one of the people injured in the second landmine explosion, Abdullah Naji Gamhous (28 years old), said: “While I was taking the dead woman, Fatima Ali Hussein Al-Nims (31 years old) and some of her female relatives who were not injured from the location of the incident to Salam, another landmine exploded under the left front wheel of my car. I got a fracture in my right leg; my sister, Janiah Naji Gamhous (30 years old) sustained a fracture in her left arm while my brother Ameen Naji Gamhous (20 years old) suffered bruises all over his body.”[5]

Gamhous added that they were all taken to a hospital in Al-Hazm district. Upon asking him about the location of the explosion of the landmine, he answered that it was a dirt road used by the villagers from Al-Badda’ah and Salam. He also pointed out that many families from Al-Ghail live in these two areas, after they left their homes and villages because of the war, and that most of the displaced people in those areas are women and children.[6]

Gamhous concluded his statement, saying: “The incident had a terrible effect on us and we became afraid of walking or driving on roads that were familiar to us. I lost my car which was the source of my income. We are still suffering from health-related issues, and only God knows when we would fully recover from them.”[7]

• On Friday July 7, 2017 at about 09:00 am, a series of landmines exploded in the village of Al-Shaqb Al-Sayahi, in the district of Sabir Al-Mwadim, to the south of the city of Taizz. Afaf Mohammed Ahmed Muqbil (22 years old) was injured in the incident: her left leg and breast were cut off; she also sustained multiple fractures in her right leg, shrapnel wounds and burns in different parts of her body. Dalilah Abdu Ahmed Ahmed Muqbil (25 years old) was injured in the same incident. She had her right leg cut off and she sustained shrapnel wounds and burns in other parts of her body.

In her statement about the incident, Afaf told Mwatana for Human Rights: “Dalilah was walking before me, carrying a pack of firewood over her head. Our goats were following Dalilah and I was walking behind them. I heard a big blast and saw Dalilah flying in the air and falling back to the ground. One of her legs landed next to me. The goats panicked from the sound of the first explosion and started running in every direction. As the goats ran, a series of explosions followed, tossing the goats in the air and tearing them into pieces on the ground. Dalilah’s screams were mixed with the sound of the explosions. She was crawling and shouting for help. But as she crawled, she touched upon another landmine. Dalilah was tossed in the air again. My feet and all my body trembled with fear, and I was mesmerized in my place, as though in a dream. I felt that my mind was paralyzed and my whole body was completely numb”.[8]

Afaf added: “I fell to the ground, and as soon as I did, a landmine exploded, and I was sent flying in the air and I landed on another landmine. I felt like fire had been set on my body, and my screams were mixed with those of Dalilah. I did not know at the time what was left of my body. My brother came to my rescue, and I was asking him in fear: Are my legs cut off? He was crying. I was asking him in fear: Are my hands cut off? What happened to me? Tell me! Are my legs cut off like Dalilah?

According to the interviews conducted by Mwatana for Human Rights, Ansar Allah group (the Houthis) planted landmines at a distance of about 50 meters on the road near Tabat Al-Salhi which is under their control, in order to prevent the progress of Popular Resistance and pro-Hadi forces, which are stationed in Tabat Mza’al, about 100 meters away from the location of the incident.[9]

[1]Mwatana for Human Rights, report of “Concealed Killer”_ Fall of civilians by the landmines laid by the Ansar Allah Armed Group (the Houthis) and Saleh Forces (April 2017).

[2]Mwatana interviewed Hussien Ali Hussine Al-Huzmi on June 17, 2017.

[3]ibid.

[4]Mwatana interviewed Ameen Hussien Ali Al-Huzami on April 11, 2017.

[5]Mwatana interviewed Abdullah Naji Gamhous on June 17, 2017.

[6]Ibid.

[7]ibid.

[8]Mwatana interviewed Afaf Mohammed Ahmed Muqbil on July 17, 2017.

[9]Mwatana interviewed local residents on July 17, 2017.