The Land is No Longer Safe!

The mornings once full of work and Mahagel (Songs people sing while working the land.) are now tainted with anxiety," says Sultan Sinan, 28, a young man from the village of "Al- Suwehira," located in the district of Maqbanah. This village lies near the palm-shaded "Wadi Dhamin," which runs through the villages of Akhdou’ and Al-Majasha, and is the main water source for the local residents during the rainy season.

However, according to Sultan, things have changed since the war. Landmines and remnants of war carried by floodwaters into the valley now pose a significant threat to farmers, as they come from villages near the frontlines. "No casualties have been reported in our village, where farmers sometimes find these mines or remnants. Some are defused, and others may have already exploded, but the real fear is that there are others still hidden, unexploded, and waiting to detonate."

Sultan mentions that the locals have started neglecting some of the irrigation channels for agricultural lands, which has allowed thorny plants to take over.

Typically, the local residents in the area pay little attention to the warnings from demining organizations, the most recent of which was a statement from the Masam project in late April of this year, or even to the issue of mine removal itself.

Wazeer's mother, 39 years old, a shepherd and housewife from the village of Al-Tufayli in Taiz, located about half an hour from the village of Al-Suwayhira to the west, says, "Although the demining teams have removed nearly 8 mines from in front of my house and the surrounding area, the grazing lands there are no longer as safe as they once were, and the reason for this is due to erosion factors, including the rain."

Wazir’s mother shares how her son, Wazir (10 years old), was injured by a disguised explosive device in December 2021. One of its shrapnel pieces struck the upper part of his right eye, impairing his vision. Wazir does not attend school like other children, and has been working alongside his parents and six siblings in shepherding since he was five. As a result of the incident, he is no longer as skilled in his work.

"We are a family whose main livelihood is shepherding," adds Wazir’s mother. "But since my son Wazir’s accident, the green spaces have shrunk, and doubt and fear have accompanied us ever since."

Maqbanah district and the surrounding areas in western Taiz governorate are among the most heavily mined regions, and they also experience heavy rainfall. Other areas like Asifra to the north, Sala and Jabal Habashi to the east and south are similarly dangerous and heavily mined.

On May 20, 2024, an unexploded ordnance from the remnants of war exploded in the village of Al-Mansurah, which is part of the Jabal Habashi district, southwest of Taiz city. The explosion injured two children and a woman. Said Makrad, 35, a local from the village and one of the first responders, recalls, "The girl, Janin, passed away after suffering for a while."

Janin Walid Othman, a 7-year-old girl, spent ten days in the intensive care unit after her right arm was amputated, but she eventually passed away from her injuries. Said recounts, "That day, the children were playing with a strange object that had most likely been carried by the floods to the village, which is close to the watercourse."

Said mentions that a week after the incident, one of the village women found a one-meter-long shell in the flood stream that had not exploded and handed it over to the local security authorities. Said wonders whether there are more such dangers buried in the earth or along the riverbanks, and hopes that there aren't.

Mwatana for Human Rights urges all parties to the conflict to immediately cease the planting of mines in all forms and begin serious efforts to clear mined areas, including those that have been contaminated by the migration of mines due to flooding, to prevent further civilian casualties. Mwatana also calls on the international community to establish an international investigative mechanism with a criminal nature to ensure accountability for the perpetrators and to provide justice for the victims

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