Violation of Childhood and the Future
On Saturday, November 30, 2019, at around 5:00 PM, 13-year-old Khalil Mohammed Al-Hudaibi was with his uncle on a water tanker truck in Yaf’an Valley, Al-Yaf'an District, Al-Bayda Governorate. At that moment, a landmine planted by fighters of the Houthi group (Ansar Allah) on the side of the road exploded. The explosion occurred on the left side of the water tanker, where Khalil was sitting.
The explosion caused Khalil permanent disabilities; his left heel was amputated, and his right big toe was severed, with a fracture in his right leg. His mother, Ms. Nabat Al-Ma'amari (37 years old), says: "My son Khalil always stays with his uncle, since his father works in Saudi Arabia and has been imprisoned due to a dispute with his sponsor. Since then, my son's uncle has been taking care of our family. On the day of the incident, Khalil went with his uncle, as usual, on the tanker to irrigate the cornfields in Yaf’an Valley (Dhaynan District), and on their way, a landmine planted by the Houthis exploded. They have planted many mines in the village since they took control of it more than two years ago."
She continues:"When the mine exploded that day, the truck's tire was damaged on the side where my son was sitting. Only Khalil was injured by the explosion because he was sitting in the affected half of the vehicle. His left heel was amputated, his right leg was fractured, and his right big toe was severed. My son’s uncle, Mohammed Al-Hudaibi (55 years old), rushed him to the Al-Thawra General Hospital in the center of Al-Bayda Governorate."
She adds: "When I received the news, I felt as if I had lost my mind, and I rushed to the hospital. When I arrived, I hugged my son while he was crying, repeating, 'My feet have been cut off, Mom... I am in so much pain.' He cried and screamed in agony. After that, he underwent several surgeries. Our situation was very difficult and harsh, and the hospital fees were high, despite it being a public hospital."
She continues: "We stayed in the hospital for a month and 10 days, and we kept returning for follow-up visits. After his condition improved, he underwent tests at the Disability Care and Rehabilitation Center in Al-Bayda Governorate, where they provided him with a prosthetic limb for his left foot. However, it is no longer suitable for him since he is still growing, and he needs a longer prosthetic. We are waiting for the right moment to improve our situation so we can replace it with a more appropriate one."
Since then, Khalil has struggled with the challenges of living with a permanent disability, a missing foot, and a prosthetic limb that no longer serves its purpose. He constantly feels that the war has stolen his childhood, along with his dreams and future.
Mwatana for Human Rights urges the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group to immediately cease the planting of all types of landmines, to hand over maps of mine-contaminated areas, and to work on clearing these areas to prevent further civilian casualties. Mwatana also calls on the international community to take effective steps to pressure the group to stop its mine-laying activities, expedite demining efforts, and establish an international criminal investigative mechanism to ensure accountability for the violators and provide justice to the victims.
