Press Release on the Occasion of the International Day for Mine Awareness
On April 4th, the world commemorates the International Day for Mine Awareness, a day to reflect on the devastating impact that mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) leave on civilian lives in Yemen, a country suffering from the ongoing problem for over a decade. Yemen has become one of the most heavily landmine-contaminated countries globally, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives and leaving many others injured, with over 35% of the victims being children.
Reports indicate that the Houthi group is the main cause behind the spread of this crisis, as landmine planting is part of the group’s military strategy. The Houthis have planted mines not only in combat zones but also in densely populated areas. Worryingly, they have been manufacturing mines disguised as children’s toys, cosmetic tools, and household items, making them incredibly difficult to combat. Recently, Masam project team uncovered many of these deadly mines.
The planting of landmines in this manner represents a criminal approach aimed at harming civilians, constituting a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, particularly the First and Second Geneva Conventions of 1949, as well as the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, which prohibits the use, storage, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines and mandates their destruction.
On the International Day for Mine Awareness, we remember the civilian victims of mines in Hodeidah, Taiz, Al-Bayda, Al-Jawf, Saada, Hajjah, Al-Dhale, and other areas, where thousands have been killed or injured. Thousands of Yemeni families, especially those displaced from their homes, still wish to return to their homes, which remain contaminated with random mines and unexploded ordnance. Meanwhile, most mine clearance programs and projects have come to a halt.
Mayyun Human Rights Organization would like to commend the tremendous humanitarian efforts of the mine clearance teams, particularly Masam project, which is one of the few remaining humanitarian initiatives in Yemen. Although this project has successfully cleared more than 65 million square meters of contaminated land as of March 2025, the scale of the disaster exceeds the capacity of any single organization to address.
Therefore, this year’s theme of “From Here, a Secure Future Begins” calls on the world to re-fund mine clearance programs and awareness initiatives to assist local communities in overcoming these challenges, as well as to apply maximum pressure on the Houthi group to hand over minefield maps, reveal mine locations, and immediately cease the manufacture of mines. Protecting civilians and creating a safe environment for them is a humanitarian duty that must be upheld by all. Mayyun also seizes this opportunity to reiterate its call for the internationally recognized Yemeni government to urgently form the National Committee for Mine Action and involve civil society in all efforts to combat mines and raise awareness about their dangers.
Issued by Mayyun Human Rights Organization
April 4, 2025
