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Mine disguised as a rock
At 2:00 p.m. on April 23, 2024, a landmine exploded in the Jarban area of Bayhan District, Shabwa Governorate, seriously injuring two children. The child, Ahmed Ali Al-Awadhi (14 years old), suffered the amputation of his right hand and right leg, complete damage to his left eye, and shrapnel in his skull, while the child, Laith Nasser Salem Al-Awadhi (15 years old), was injured by shrapnel in the head.
The child Laith, who was less affected than Ahmed, recounts the details of what happened. He said: Ahmed, our uncle Nasser, and I were returning to our house from herding sheep at that time. We were close to the house, separated from it only by the valley across the road, which we pass through every day when we go to and return from herding sheep.
The water was still running in the valley after the rains. Ahmed was walking in front of me, and the sheep were walking ahead of us, while our uncle Nasser was following us from behind. As soon as we reached the valley, the sheep stopped to drink from the water. Ahmed also bent down to drink and wash his face, and I followed him to drink as well. Ahmed noticed a long black object under the water that looked like a stone with a small head. When he took a step, his foot landed on that object (the mine), and it exploded immediately. The explosion knocked me backwards, and I fell on my back. I felt dizzy and had pain in my head, and after that, I lost all sensation. When I woke up, I found myself in the hospital with Ahmed, who had sustained severe injuries to his hand and leg and lost an eye. The smell of gunpowder and blood filled my nostrils, and the sound of the explosion still deafened my ears. The doctors at the hospital told me there were shrapnel pieces in my head from the explosion, and they couldn't do anything to remove them.
As for Ahmed, half of his hand and leg below the knee were amputated, and his face was injured by shrapnel. His eye had been gouged out by a shrapnel that had entered it, so he was taken to the city of Ataq for treatment at that time. I stayed in the hospital until after sunset, and after receiving treatment, I returned home.
Ahmad’s father said: "Those painful moments were a shock to the people of Beihan. The shock of this incident will continue to cast its shadow over us for a long time, but we will overcome it with our strong will and family Solidarity. God is with us, and sufficient is God, and He is the best disposer of affairs against those who planted the mines, whose harvest will be eternal disabilities for the apple of our eyes..."
The dangers of landmines in the Beihan district pose a real threat to humans, animals, agricultural lands, and personal property. Mines seriously affect the lives of locals, exposing them to injury and death, and impact biodiversity and agricultural production, leading to significant financial losses. The continued loss of citizens' lives due to landmines is a danger that must be eliminated to ensure the safety of people and allow them to live normal lives.
Mwatana for Human Rights urges all parties to the conflict to immediately stop planting mines in all their forms and to take urgent steps to clear areas contaminated with mines, including areas where mines have been displaced due to floodwaters, in order to prevent further civilian casualties. Mwatana calls on the international community to establish an international criminal investigation mechanism to ensure accountability for violators, hold them accountable, and provide justice for the victims.
