Houthi mines in Yemen are among the most dangerous threats facing civilians on roads, in farms and around homes, as the area of contaminated land expands and the lack of accurate maps makes it difficult to pinpoint their locations.
Coinciding with the International Day for Mine Awareness, the Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms said it had recorded 4,947 cases of human and material damage caused by anti-personnel and anti-armor landmines between January 2017 and March 2026.
Heavy toll
According to the report, mines planted by the Iran-backed Houthi group have killed 1,104 people and wounded 1,429 others, including 232 children and 98 women among the dead, as well as 316 children and 171 women among the injured.
Despite the decline in fighting in Yemen’s coastal Hodeidah province, landmines and Houthi war remnants continue to silently claim civilian lives far from the front lines, causing particular harm to children and women.
Civilians make up the largest share of the victims, while 693 of the wounded suffered permanent disabilities, including 252 amputations.
These figures show the scale of the long-term human cost, as injuries in many cases become a permanent burden on families amid limited health services and weak rehabilitation programs.
Geography of danger
The killings and injuries were spread across several provinces, led by Taiz with 198 deaths, followed by Hodeidah with 127 and Marib with 120, in addition to Al-Bayda, Al-Jawf, Lahj, Hajjah and Saada at varying levels.
Mine clearance teams
Since the start of the war, mines have reached residential areas, side roads and farms, making daily movement hazardous.
On the material damage front, the report documented the destruction of 998 facilities, including 712 homes and 52 schools and religious centers, as well as mosques, government facilities and shops, in addition to bridges, wells and farms.
Hundreds of transport-related incidents were also recorded, further increasing the danger of travel in a number of areas.
Ongoing threat
In this context, the Yemeni Landmine Observatory reported 31 deaths and 42 injuries over the course of one year, including children and women, as a result of mine explosions and war remnants.
Despite the decline in fighting in Yemen’s coastal Hodeidah province, landmines and Houthi war remnants continue to silently claim civilian lives far from the front lines, causing particular harm to children and women.
Specialists warn that recent floods in Yemen have carried large numbers of mines into new areas, including places that had previously been cleared, suddenly bringing the danger back.
These figures place mines in the category of a long-term danger that does not end with the war, but continues for years to come and reproduces the tragedy with every new victim.
Rights groups have called for mine maps to be disclosed and clearance operations accelerated, along with support for victims and rehabilitation, as necessary steps to reduce losses.
In Yemen, mines have become a daily reality shaping the lives of many civilians on unsafe roads and in land that has not yet been surveyed, where the danger remains present at every step.
