Dangerous Mines in Yemen

A2

Dangerous Mines in Yemen

Introduction

Many people in Yemen are hurt by landmines. Landmines are bombs hidden in the ground. This report talks about these dangers.

Main Body

Many children and women are hurt or die from these bombs. In one city, five children died while they played sports. Some children lost their legs because of the mines. Some groups are trying to help. They find the bombs and take them away. They cleaned a lot of land. But there are still many bombs in the ground. It is hard to find all the bombs. Some groups do not let workers enter their land. Also, big rains and floods move the bombs to new places.

Conclusion

Yemen is still a dangerous place. Many people are hurt by mines even though some groups are cleaning the land.

Vocabulary Learning

dangerous (adj.)
unsafe / likely to cause harm危險的
Example:It is dangerous to walk alone in the dark.
enter (v.)
go into / to come into a place進入
Example:Please knock on the door before you enter the room.
floods (n.)
overflow / large amounts of water covering an area水災;洪水
Example:The heavy rain caused floods in many cities.
hidden (adj.)
secret / placed where it cannot be seen隱藏的;隱秘的
Example:The key was hidden under a rock.
report (n.)
account / a description of an event or situation報告
Example:I need to write a report about the meeting.

Sentence Learning

Landmines are bombs hidden in the ground.
Prepositional Phrase: The phrase 'in the ground' describes where the bombs are located.介詞短語: 'in the ground' 一詞描述了炸彈所在的位置。
In one city, five children died while they played sports.
Time Marker: The word 'while' shows that two actions happened at the same time.時間標記: 'while' 一詞表示兩個動作在當時同時發生。
Some children lost their legs because of the mines.
Reason: The phrase 'because of' explains the cause of a situation.原因: 'because of' 短語解釋了情況發生的原因。
But there are still many bombs in the ground.
Contrast: The word 'But' introduces an idea that is different from the previous one.對比: 'But' 一詞引出了與前文不同的想法。
They find the bombs and take them away.
Addition: The word 'and' joins two related actions together.並列: 'and' 一詞將兩個相關的動作連接起來。
B2

The Lasting Danger of Landmines and Explosive Remnants of War in Yemen

Introduction

This report examines the ongoing casualties and the serious challenges caused by landmine contamination in Yemen following the April 2022 ceasefire between the government and Houthi forces.

Main Body

The presence of explosive remnants of war continues to cause significant civilian casualties, especially among children. According to data from Save the Children, at least 843 children have been injured and 339 killed since the 2022 truce, with landmines causing nearly half of all conflict-related child casualties. In the first half of 2025, 107 civilians were affected, including five children who were killed while playing sports in Taiz. These trends are supported by historical data from 2014 to 2022, which shows that 534 children and 177 women were killed across 17 provinces, with Taiz experiencing the highest rates. Individual stories highlight the long-term physical and social impact of these weapons. For example, in August 2023, a 13-year-old girl in Taiz had to have her leg amputated after a landmine exploded, which forced her family to move to Taiz city. Similarly, a 20-year-old man in the Maqbna district suffered a similar amputation in 2018. These cases emphasize the difficulty of getting medical help in rural areas, where traveling to a city hospital can take several hours. International and regional organizations are working to reduce these risks. Project Masam, funded by Saudi Arabia, reported that it had removed 549,452 explosive devices and cleared 7,799 hectares by March 20, 2026. Furthermore, the Danish Refugee Council has cleared over 23,302 square meters of contaminated land. However, completely removing all mines remains a difficult goal because a final peace agreement has not yet been reached. Researcher Adel Dashela asserted that several structural problems are slowing down the de-mining process. He emphasized that mines were placed randomly, access to areas controlled by different armed groups is restricted, and there is a lack of accurate maps. Additionally, there is a shortage of trained local staff and modern detection equipment. As a result, environmental factors, such as the flash floods of August 2025, have made the situation worse by moving explosives into new areas.

Conclusion

Yemen continues to face high levels of landmine contamination. Despite active clearance operations and the 2022 ceasefire, these explosives continue to cause casualties among the civilian population.

Vocabulary Learning

casualties (n.)
victims / people injured or killed in a war or accident傷亡人員
Example:The heavy storm resulted in numerous casualties and widespread damage to the coastal town.
contamination (n.)
pollution / the state of being made impure or unfit for use污染
Example:The contamination of the local water supply has caused many health problems for the residents.
highlight (v.)
underline / to attract attention to or emphasize something important突顯;強調
Example:The report aims to highlight the importance of early childhood education.
restricted (adj.)
limited / kept within certain limits or controlled by rules受限制的;受約束的
Example:Access to the military base is strictly restricted to authorized personnel only.
shortage (n.)
lack / a situation in which there is not enough of something短缺;不足
Example:Many countries are facing a severe shortage of food and clean water due to the drought.

Sentence Learning

These trends are supported by historical data from 2014 to 2022, which shows that 534 children and 177 women were killed across 17 provinces, with Taiz experiencing the highest rates.
Passive Voice & Non-defining Relative Clause: The passive voice 'are supported' shifts focus to the evidence, while 'which' adds supplementary details about the data.被動語態與非限定關係子句: 被動語態「are supported」將重點轉移至證據,而「which」則為數據添加了補充細節。
For example, in August 2023, a 13-year-old girl in Taiz had to have her leg amputated after a landmine exploded, which forced her family to move to Taiz city.
Causative Form & Sentence-Relative Clause: 'Had to have her leg amputated' describes an action performed on someone, and 'which' refers back to the entire preceding event.使役用法與修飾全句的關係子句: 「Had to have her leg amputated」描述了發生在某人身上的動作,而「which」則指代前面提到的整個事件。
These cases emphasize the difficulty of getting medical help in rural areas, where traveling to a city hospital can take several hours.
Relative Adverb 'Where': This structure introduces a relative clause that provides descriptive information about a specific location.關係副詞「Where」: 此結構引導一個關係子句,以為特定地點提供描述性資訊。
However, completely removing all mines remains a difficult goal because a final peace agreement has not yet been reached.
Gerund Phrase & Present Perfect Passive: The gerund 'removing' functions as the subject, while the present perfect passive indicates a state that has not been completed.動名詞短語與現在完成式被動語態: 動名詞「removing」充當主語,而現在完成式被動語態則表示一個尚未完成的狀態。
Despite active clearance operations and the 2022 ceasefire, these explosives continue to cause casualties among the civilian population.
Contrast Linker 'Despite': This preposition links a noun phrase to the main clause to show a contrast between the efforts made and the ongoing danger.對比連接詞「Despite」: 此介詞將名詞短語與主句連接,以顯示已作出的努力與持續存在的危險之間的對比。
C2

Persistent Impact of Landmines and Explosive Remnants of War in Yemen

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。