In a tragic incident on Saturday, two children were killed and three others, including their parents, were injured when their vehicle detonated a landmine in the al-Masloub district of Yemen’s northern province of Al-Jawf, according to an anonymous local official. The family was traveling approximately 143 km northeast of the capital, Sanaa, when the blast occurred.
This incident adds to the growing casualties caused by landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) in Yemen. The United Nations recently reported 121 civilian casualties in the first quarter of 2023 alone due to these explosives, particularly in the governorates of Hodeidah, Al-Jawf, and Marib. Heavy rainfall in these regions dislodged the explosive devices, elevating the risk of unintentional detonations.
Yemen, embroiled in a bitter conflict between the internationally-recognized government and the Iran-backed Houthi group since late 2014, is plagued by millions of landmines and UXOs. These explosives pose a constant threat to civilian lives and security, a crisis expected to persist for years to come.