Yemen urges urgent UN action to halt Houthi landmine planting

Yemen's foreign ministry has urged the United Nations and international organizations to take immediate action to stop the Houthi militants from planting anti-personnel landmines across several provinces. The ministry emphasized the urgent need to expand demining efforts, support victims, and raise awareness about the dangers of these explosives.

They condemned the Houthis' indiscriminate use of landmines, particularly in villages and populated areas, and held the group entirely responsible for the resulting humanitarian consequences. The ministry pointed to reports of landmines being planted in mountainous areas, side roads, and the homes of displaced people in rural Taiz province, leading to daily civilian casualties among women and children.

Yemen is among the world's most heavily contaminated countries with anti-personnel landmines, and children are the primary victims, often injured or killed while herding livestock, playing, or traveling on rough roads. The ministry called on the UNDP and other organizations to condemn these acts and act swiftly in coordination with UN agencies to pressure the Houthis to cease planting anti-personnel mines.

They also urged the expansion of survey, clearance, victim assistance, and mine risk awareness programs, in line with Yemen's obligations under the 1997 Ottawa Convention and international humanitarian law.