Unidentified Object Object in the Field

At around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, twelve-year-old Itab Saleh Ahmed Said was herding sheep alongside another young girl on their family’s farmland in the Al-Kharjah area of Tur al-Bahah District, Lahj Governorate. Itab went into the center of the agricultural field to gather some grass for the sheep, while the other girl stayed nearby with the flock.

During her search, Itab found an unfamiliar object in the middle of the field. She picked it up, unaware that it was an explosive remnant from the war, carried into the field by floodwaters. As Itab tried to pull the object from where it was lodged in the soil, it exploded, killing her instantly. Shrapnel tore through her face, abdomen, and chest, and severed her upper limbs.

Najeeb Ahmed, Itab's 49-year-old uncle, recounted, "Just days before this incident, floodwaters from the frontlines in the mine-contaminated mountains of Haifan reached the valley where our farmland is located, carrying the landmine that killed Itab."

He continued, "Moments after the explosion, I rushed to the scene and found that Itab had died. Shrapnel had ripped through her body, and her clothes were burned. I covered her body; the sight was devastating and had a deep psychological impact on me. It was a shock for me and the entire family."

The incident left the entire community grieving. Residents of Al-Kharjah now live in fear, as floodwaters repeatedly carry landmines and explosive remnants into pastures and fields. These hidden dangers, scattered unpredictably, pose an ongoing threat, with no one knowing when and where the next tragedy will occur.

Mwatana for Human Rights urges all parties to the conflict to immediately halt the planting of landmines in all their forms and to take serious steps to clear mine-contaminated areas and explosive remnants, including regions where floods have displaced these hazards, to prevent further civilian casualties. Mwatana also calls on the international community to establish an international criminal investigation mechanism to ensure accountability for the perpetrators, justice for the victims, and reparations.

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