Yemen needs more than eight years to remove over two million mines planted by Houthis
April 8, 2022, 11:12 am

Yemen needs more than eight years to remove over two million mines planted by Houthis

Estimates show that Houthis planted over two million landmines, with more than 500,000 having been cleared (Representative image: Pixabay)

The Asharq Al-Awsat reported, according to a Yemeni official, Yemen needs more than eight years to remove all mines planted by Houthis, as over two million mines are still in various areas.

Several local and international reports revealed that the mines prevent the displaced from returning to their areas and reaching their farms.

Yemen’s Deputy Minister of Human Rights, Nabil Abdul-Hafeez, said estimates show that Houthis planted over two million landmines, with more than 500,000 having been cleared.

Abdul-Hafeez indicated that Yemen needs eight years to clear the remaining mines based on a study carried out 18 months ago.

However, the deputy minister stated that these estimates are no longer accurate because the Houthis continue to plant mines extensively.

Yemen needs more than eight years to remove all mines planted by Houthis, as over two million mines are still in various areas

The Saudi Masam project, designed to demine Yemen, has cleared more than 32 million square meters of Yemeni land from Houthi mines.

Masam stated that its technical teams cleared more than 32,460,000 square meters of Yemeni land.

The teams worked on more than 1.6 million square meters last month.

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The American Center for Justice (ACJ) released its report on the disaster of mines, saying mines have killed 2,526 civilians and injured 3,286 others in 18 Yemeni governorates and that 75 percent of those injured by the Houth-laid mines have been permanently disabled or maimed.

The Center also documented in its report the destruction of 425 different means of transport and the partial damage of 163 others due to landmines and the killing of 33 disposal experts working for Masam, five of whom were foreigners, in addition to the injury of 40 other workers.

According to ACJ, Houthis have planted mines in villages and rural areas, forcing civilians to be internally displaced, and preventing humanitarian aid from reaching vulnerable groups.

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The report found that mines impede children’s access to schools and prevent civilians from reaching pastures and farms.

ACJ said that the Houthi group has systematically committed this violation in all the military sites it controls and the areas and roads it left.

The Center called on the militias to destroy their entire stockpile of mines and abide by the principles of the Ottawa Convention against the use, storage, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines.

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The report recommended that the legitimate government take all necessary legal measures to hold those responsible accountable for planting mines.

Source: aawsat

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Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.