734 civilians killed and wounded by mines and cluster bombs remnants last year

Cluster bombs and mines from the remnants of the Saudi-led aggressive coalition claimed 244 lives and, resulted in 490 civilians injured, including children and women, in various Yemen governorates. Most of the casualties, however, were recorded in Al-Hodeidah Governorate during the year of 2022.

The Executive Center for Mine Action launched, during a consultative meeting today in Al-Hodeidah Governorate, in coordination with the branch of the Supreme Council for the Management and Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and International Cooperation, the annual report of the year 2022, which included detailed statistics of the casualties resulted by bomb remnants and mines.

The report revealed the death and injury of 64 women, the death of 54 children, and the injury of 177 others as a result of the remnants of the aggression in the governorates, indicating that the Hodeidah governorate recorded the largest number of victims of the remnants of the aggression, with 137 people killed, most of them children, and 218 wounded.

Moreover, the report added that 20,252 pieces of mines, cluster bombs and remnants of war were discovered and collected in several governorates, and 500 war bodies were destroyed at once, as well as the implementation of two operations to destroy remnants of aggression in Al-Hodeidah Governorate.

The report, which was reviewed by the Director of the Executive Center for Mine Action, Brigadier General Ali Safra, mentioned the achievements that have been made in Hodeidah Governorate during the past period, represented in surveying and clearing more than three million square meters of mines and cluster bombs.

He pointed out that the center’s field teams carried out the largest destruction operation of more than 9,700 pieces, which included mines, cluster bombs and other remnants that were collected and removed from the districts of Al-Hali and Al-Haok in Al-Hodeidah Governorate.

Brigadier General Safra touched on the challenges and difficulties facing the Executive Center in Hodeidah Governorate, represented by the lack of modern capabilities, devices and equipment to detect mines and cluster bombs.

He explained that the center needs these devices and equipment so that it can carry out its humanitarian duty to clear all areas and sites of mines and cluster bombs left behind by the aggression in the governorate.

The Director of the Executive Center called on the United Nations and international organizations to quickly fulfill their obligations and promises to provide the capabilities, devices and equipment that detect mines and cluster bombs.

During the meeting, the governorate’s deputy for service affairs, Mohammed Hulaisi, praised the efforts of the Executive Center for Mine Action in clearing areas of mines and cluster bombs left behind by the aggression in most of the governorate’s directorates, despite the difficulties facing the center.

He stressed that mines and cluster bombs represent a real challenge for the people of Al-Hodeidah, claiming the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians, and injuring many. He pointed to the necessity of providing support to the Executive Center for Mine Action to play its role in dealing with these hazardous wastes.

The deputy governor called on the United Nations and all international organizations operating in the province to assume their responsibilities and humanitarian role towards the mines and bombs left behind by the US-Saudi aggression, which are threatening the lives of millions of people.

At the consultative meeting, speeches were delivered by Leon Low, the advisor to the United Nations Mine Mission, and a number of representatives of international organizations operating in the governorate, which dealt in their entirety with the dangers and effects of mines and cluster bombs remnants on citizens.

The report that was presented during the meeting dealt with the awareness activity carried out by the center in the governorates, indicating that the awareness teams worked to deliver awareness of the dangers of mines, cluster bombs and remnants of war to 503 thousand and 953 beneficiaries from all segments of society.

The report pointed out that the figures presented include 15 governorates: Al-Bayda – Al-Jawf – Al-Hodeidah – Al-Dhalea – Al-Mahweet – Taiz – Hajjah – Dhamar – Raymah – Saada – Sana’a – Amran – Lahj – Marib – Ibb.

The meeting was attended by the director of the Executive Center for Mine Action in Al-Hodeidah Governorate, Yahya Sabr, a number of leaders in the center, representatives of the media, and a number of local and executive leaders in the governorate.