The UAE-backed Yemeni forces managed to clear 3,000 mines from the Sa’adah district of northwestern Yemen, after months of administering a demining operation against the Houthi Rebels.
The use of landmines is banned in Yemen under the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty and despite it, the Houthi Rebels have caused more than hundreds of casualties in the western coast of Yemen. Therefore, UAE, as part of the Saudi-led coalition and also as being the only force in the Yemeni conflict to not use landmines, chose to take the charge of demining the land to make it inhabitable.
Since the operation began, the forces were able to clear a large amount of mines in spite of most being recovered in the disguise of sand blocks, rocks and plants, which made it difficult to distinguish them.
Reportedly, the act of planting mines or explosives on roads, farms and houses was a deliberate act by the Houthis to express their anguish and get even for the expulsion from certain areas without the regard of civilians.
Consequences of the mining included the deaths of hundreds in Yemen, which was a sum total of women, children, youth and the elderly. Whoever didn’t die after coming in contact with the mines were left enduring permanent disabilities for life while some lost their entire families and others, particularly children, lost either a hand or feet.
In order to start the practice of putting an end to this barbarous practice of mining lands, occupied by women, children and elderly, Yemeni forces backed by the UAE successfully cleared more than 3,000 landmines from the Sa’adah district. Though the operation is still functional, clearing up as many mines as 3,000 is looked upon as the achievement of a milestone.
After 3 years of failed attempts at saving a war-stricken nation, while surrounded by controversies of the most amount of collateral damage, the Saudi-led coalition made its stance and efforts visible with its extraordinary clearing of landmines thus, preventing more casualties
