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Extinguished Ahmed’s Eye and Severed His Hand
Twelve-year-old Ahmed Muqbil Hussein Abdullah Al-Turki lived a simple yet happy life with his family and siblings in the village of Daman, Lawdar District, Abyan Governorate. Despite their limited resources, the family found joy in their togetherness. Ahmed balanced his studies with helping his siblings graze the sheep—the family’s sole source of income.
When the war reached Daman village in 2016, Ahmed’s family fled to the Al-Habeel area, about 10 km away from Lawdar, seeking safety. Ahmed routinely went out to graze the sheep every morning and returned in the evening around 3 PM.
On the morning of Sunday, October 1, 2023, Ahmed, as usual, went out to graze his sheep in Al-Habeel, an area that had witnessed battles between Ansar Allah (the Houthis) and the Southern Resistance in 2015. He led his sheep towards the valley, about 2 km away from his village, where he played, jumped, and enjoyed the shades of the pasture. Suddenly, he noticed a strange object that piqued his curiosity; he wanted to discover what was inside it.
That object was nothing but an explosive device, which detonated immediately as he attempted to open it. He screamed and ran in terror, with blood and shrapnel covering his small body.
Passersby saw him and rushed him to "Martyr Mohnef Hospital" in Lawdar District, where he received first aid. Then, he was transferred to Doctors Without Borders Hospital in Aden Governorate, where his right hand was amputated at the wrist joint. After examination, they found a rupture in his left eye, and he was subsequently moved to the “Aden German International Hospital.”
On November 4, 2023, Ahmed underwent surgery to remove the contents of his left eye. A silicone ball was implanted, along with additional treatments and a lens placement.
Ahmed returned to his village deeply depressed. He had lost his hand and his eye to a war he had no part in, all because he was trying to help his family survive. His usual cheerful demeanor is now replaced by sorrow. He says: "If I had known, I wouldn’t have picked it up. I would have reported it. Because of it, I lost my eye and hand. Even if I cry forever, they won’t come back."
Mwatana for Human Rights urges all parties to the conflict to immediately cease the planting of mines in all forms, as well as explosive remnants, and to take serious steps toward clearing mined areas, including locations where flooding has caused the displacement of mines, in order to prevent further civilian casualties. Mwatana also calls on the international community to establish an international criminal investigative mechanism to ensure accountability, prosecution of perpetrators, and justice for the victims.
