The Executive Mine Action Center affirmed that war remnants, cluster bombs, and landmines continue to violate the fundamental right to life and safe living since the aggression against Yemen began in March 2015.
The center stated in a press release on the occasion of Human Rights Day, received by the Yemen News Agency (SABA), that rural areas and cities have turned into deadly fields threatening civilians daily , undermining their rights to food, security, and return to their houses.
The statement noted that figures monitored by the center reveal the scale of the disaster up to December 2023, with a total of 10,689 victims of cluster bombs and landmines, including 3,952 killed and 6,737 injured, among them 2,504 children and 1,102 women.
It pointed out that victims of cluster bombs reached 4,944, including 1,973 killed and 2,971 injured, among them 1,211 children and 557 women, while victims of landmines and war remnants totaled 1,979 killed and 3,766 injured, including 1,293 children and 545 women.
The statement also mentioned that Yemen occupies a catastrophic position globally, ranking third in the world in terms of mine victims, according to the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) report issued last November.
It added: “In a development that warns of severe humanitarian consequences, Yemen faces worrying international abandonment, manifested in the suspension of support provided by the United Nations and some key partners for mine clearance operations.”
The Executive Mine Action Center described this setback as a serious betrayal of affected communities and a clear violation of international responsibility to protect civilians, especially since Yemen is a party to the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty.
The center renewed its urgent call to the international community and donor agencies to immediately reverse the decision to halt funding for mine-related work in Yemen and ensure the sustainability of life-saving operations, emphasizing that mine clearance funding is not just technical support, but a direct protection of the right to life.
