Two thousand dead and wounded ... a heavy toll for the victims of Houthi mines in Taiz
English - Sunday 04 October 2020 الساعة 03:04 pm
Aden, NewsYemen:
The landmines planted by the Houthi militia in Taiz governorate caused the death and injury of more than 2,154 civilians, according to the statistics of the Saudi Project to Clear Mines in Yemen (Masam).
The supervisor of the engineering teams for the Saudi project in Taiz, Eng. Aref Al-Qahtani, said that the Houthi militia had contaminated 18 districts in the governorate, with thousands of individual mines, and various types of land mines and explosive devices of various shapes and sizes.
Al-Qahtani clarified, in a press statement, that the Houthi mines planted in a dense and indiscriminate manner in the directorates of Taiz Governorate have killed and injured more than 2,154 civilians, including 184 children killed and 384 wounded children, and the rest are adults and women.
He added that Al-Wazi’iya district was almost closed with mines, and because of it, the residents were forced to flee to escape the hell of mines, noting that it is surrounded by five districts, all of which are booby-trapped with mines and improvised explosive devices.
Al-Qahtani noted that the Houthi mines planted in 82 residential areas in Al-Wazi’iya District have killed and injured more than 375 civilians.
In addition to the material losses that the local population suffered as a result of planting mines in their homes and in the fields of sesame and sorghum, which their farms were proud of, supporting their families with their revenues, and the Houthi militia turned them into fields planted with death.
Al-Qahtani noted that Team 22, Masam, was able during his work in Al-Wazi’iya district to secure civilian homes, roads, and a large number of their farms, thus illuminating a candle of hope in the hearts of citizens with the possibility of living again in their areas in peace, indicating that ending mines in the district requires a greater effort.
He pointed out that the Masam project, represented by Team 22, has managed during the past two years to secure 30 schools, educational centers, 6 health centers and a hospital, and that Masam was able to open the main roads linking the directorate to the governorates of Lahj and Aden, and enabled relief organizations to deliver medical and relief aid to the local population.
