Persistent Impact of Landmines and Explosive Remnants of War in Yemen

Apr 26, 2026, 09:43

Introduction

This report examines the ongoing casualties and systemic challenges associated with landmine contamination in Yemen following the April 2022 ceasefire between the government and Houthi forces.

Main Body

The prevalence of explosive remnants of war continues to result in significant civilian casualties, particularly among minors. Data provided by Save the Children indicates that since the 2022 truce, at least 843 children have been injured and 339 killed, with nearly half of all conflict-related child casualties attributed to landmines. In the first half of 2025, 107 civilians were affected, including five children killed during a sporting activity in Taiz. Historical data from 2014 to 2022 further corroborates this trend, with 534 children and 177 women killed, and numerous others injured across 17 provinces, with Taiz recording the highest incidence rates. Individual cases illustrate the long-term physical and social consequences of these devices. In August 2023, a 13-year-old girl in the Jabal Habashy village of Taiz governorate suffered a leg amputation following a landmine detonation, leading to her family's displacement to Taiz city. Similarly, a 20-year-old male in the Maqbna district experienced a similar amputation in 2018, highlighting the difficulties of accessing medical care in rural areas where transport to urban centers can take several hours. Mitigation efforts are being implemented by international and regional entities. Project Masam, a Saudi-funded initiative, reported the removal of 549,452 explosive devices and the clearance of 7,799 hectares by March 20, 2026. Additionally, the Danish Refugee Council has cleared over 23,302 square meters of contaminated land. Despite these efforts, the total eradication of mines remains an unresolved objective due to the absence of a final peace agreement. Analytical perspectives from researcher Adel Dashela suggest that several structural impediments hinder the de-mining process. These include the indiscriminate placement of mines, restricted access to territories controlled by various armed groups, a deficiency in precise mapping, and a lack of specialized local personnel and modern detection equipment. Furthermore, environmental factors, such as the flash floods of August 2025, are identified as variables that redistribute explosives, thereby expanding the areas of risk.

Conclusion

Yemen remains characterized by high levels of landmine contamination that continues to cause civilian casualties despite active clearance operations and the 2022 ceasefire.

Vocabulary Learning

corroborate (v.)
confirm / to provide evidence that supports a statement, theory, or finding證實；為…提供證據
Example:The witness was able to corroborate the suspect's alibi with photographic evidence from that night.
eradication (n.)
elimination / the complete destruction or removal of something根除；消滅
Example:The global eradication of smallpox remains one of the greatest achievements in medical history.
impediment (n.)
hindrance / a physical defect or a circumstance that hinders progress障礙；阻礙
Example:A lack of funding proved to be a major impediment to the completion of the research project.
indiscriminate (adj.)
random / done at random or without careful judgement不加區別的；隨意的
Example:The indiscriminate use of pesticides can have devastating effects on the local ecosystem.
mitigation (n.)
alleviation / the action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something緩解；減輕
Example:The government implemented new flood defenses as a mitigation strategy against rising sea levels.

Sentence Learning

Data provided by Save the Children indicates that since the 2022 truce, at least 843 children have been injured and 339 killed, with nearly half of all conflict-related child casualties attributed to landmines.
Reduced Relative Clause: The past participle 'provided' functions as a reduced relative clause (omitting 'which was'), which streamlines the subject and increases the formal register.縮減定語從句: 過去分詞 'provided' 起到縮減定語從句（省略了 'which was'）的作用，使主語結構更為精煉，並提升了正式語體程度。
Historical data from 2014 to 2022 further corroborates this trend, with 534 children and 177 women killed, and numerous others injured across 17 provinces, with Taiz recording the highest incidence rates.
Absolute Construction: The 'with' phrase at the end of the sentence functions as an absolute construction, providing specific, supplementary data that supports the main clause without a full subordinate structure.獨立主格結構: 句末以 'with' 引導的結構作為獨立主格，在不使用完整從句的情況下為主要從句提供具體的補充數據支持。
In August 2023, a 13-year-old girl in the Jabal Habashy village of Taiz governorate suffered a leg amputation following a landmine detonation, leading to her family's displacement to Taiz city.
Present Participle for Result: The participle 'leading' introduces a non-finite clause that expresses a direct logical consequence of the preceding action.現在分詞短語表示結果: 現在分詞 'leading' 引入了一個非限定從句，表達了前述動作所產生的直接邏輯後果。
Despite these efforts, the total eradication of mines remains an unresolved objective due to the absence of a final peace agreement.
Nominalization: Abstract nouns like 'eradication' and 'absence' transform actions into conceptual entities, allowing for high lexical density and a more academic tone.名詞化: 使用 'eradication' 和 'absence' 等抽象名詞將動作轉化為概念實體，從而提高了詞彙密度，使語調更具學術性。
Similarly, a 20-year-old male in the Maqbna district experienced a similar amputation in 2018, highlighting the difficulties of accessing medical care in rural areas where transport to urban centers can take several hours.
Relative Clause of Place: The relative adverb 'where' introduces a subordinate clause that provides essential spatial context, elaborating on the specific challenges of the location.地點定語從句: 關係副詞 'where' 引入從句，提供了必要的空間背景資訊，詳細闡述了該地點所面臨的特定挑戰。