The Yemeni Minister of Human Rights dr. Mohammed Askar revealed that the Iranian-backed Houthi militias have resorted to using children in planting mines in the areas from which they are expelled. They also deliberately planted bombs in houses, hospitals and places of worships as a threat to civilians. He explained that the militias used different kinds of mines, especially the anti-personnel, which is one of the most dangerous illegal banned weapons planted in populated areas. They also used improvised and camouflaged mines, creating new ways and means in using anti-vehicles mines and changed its use to anti-personnel ones in order to cause the greatest extent of disability and harm to innocent civilians. Here follows the dialogue text: Initially tell us about the methods used by Houthi militias in mines planting? The Houthi militias have ordered children to plant mines in the areas from which they are expelled or on the Yemeni-Saudi border. These mines led to the death of many people as well as the children recruited by the Iranian-backed Houthi militias. How are these children drawn to do these tasks? The Iranian-backed Houthi militias have exploited the difficult economic and social conditions along with the intertwined tribal nature of Yemen to attract and recruit children. In this context, financial and employment incentives are advancing among children recruiting mechanisms where poverty and poor economic conditions are being exploited. Many families send their children to join the Houthi militias in exchange for nearly 50,000 Yemeni riyals, equivalent to 150 USD, in an attempt to provide financial resources to help them providing the minimum required for the their daily needs, especially in some families with 15 members- according to interviews with the recruited children and their families. In addition, to religious mobilization operations carried out by the Houthi militias, particularly in the northern province of Saada, where schools allocate weekly classes talking to the students about the virtues of wars. How many mines were planted by Houthi militias in Yemen since 2018? The numbers of mines planted by Houthi militias reached more than a million mines. The mines caused the disability of 814 civilians with permanent disabilities, of whom 374 were amputated and disabled including children and women. What about the most prominent areas exposed to the operations of mines planting? The landmines were planted in many areas of Aden, Abyan, Marib, Al jawf, Al Baida, Hodeidah and areas north Sanaa. Did you limit the types of landmines used by the Houthi militias? The Houthis used various types of mines, such as anti-personnel mines, one of the most dangerous banned weapons planted in populated areas and turned into fields of death. There are more than 300 thousand mines in several southern and northern Yemeni provinces causing many civilian causalities, where the damage amounted to more than 3000 cases, which varied between killing, wounding and bombing of facilities add to that the bombing of vehicles bridges farms and wells. Houthi also used improvised and camouflaged mines, creating new ways and means in using anti-vehicles mines and changed its use to anti-personnel ones in order to cause the greatest extent of disability and harm to innocent civilians. The shapes and sizes of mines vary and took the same nature of the land in which it is planted which leads to the difficulty of its discovery. There are also sea mines that were planted in areas frequented by fishermen. The Iranian-backed Houthi militias mastered the bombing of houses, public property from government headquarters, schools, hospitals, water electricity and communications networks , roads and bridges, shops, vehicles, farms, companies, factories and other even worship places and mosques; all of these places suffered from them. Tell us about the negative effects of mines-planting on civilians? The damages caused by mines and explosives are new suffering after surviving the pain of war. Where it begins with the war caused diseases and disabilities and ends with the inability of providing treatment. The numbers of wounded and injured people are still increasing, especially the numbers of mine and missiles explosions victims. All of that caused permanent and dangerous disabilities and his sense of helplessness and exclusion from treatment and work due to the poverty and difficult financial conditions and continuous pain of disability. A center has been rehabilitated and opened in the Yemeni province of Ma'rib by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center. What about the humanitarian role in helping mine victims? The representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations laila Rizouki had been contacted about mine planting and the recruitment of child soldiers. In addition to Virginia Gambia the UN Secretary General's special representative for children and armed conflict on children. These calls were shown in their reports, and ongoing meetings were held with the UNICEF. Also detailed reports were presented with evidence to the UN Security Council Committee of experts, which referred to the militia's violation of the International Human Rights Law. There is no doubts that the most prominent aid received the Yemenis was from King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center. The center implemented an artificial limbs program in Marib General Hospital, and established a center for insurance and installation of artificial limbs of quality to those who need it. The center supported the authority of Ma'rib General Hospital with an amount of 3174046, and supported the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) with an amount of 10000000. That was to support rehabilitation post injuries centers, artificial limbs and other projects in the health sector and healthcare and treatment of a number of wounded in many hospitals abroad.
