SANA'A- - In a front-page report Al-Wahda newspaper says the land mines or the so-called “metal wolves” are spread in all governorates of the republic of Yemen except the governorate of Mahweet which is considered as empty of those mines and explosives.

According to the national program for handling land mines the number of land- mined areas amounted to 1085. 34 areas are highly effective, 183 of medium effect and 868 areas of low effect.

The national program of demining’s report mentions that the overall area of the places planted with unexploded mines and projectiles amounted to (923294881) square meters. There are highly effective mines in 15 villages and residential gathering, 86 villages and residential gatherings are planted with medium effect mines and 493 villages and residential gathering are having mines of low effect.

The report of mines committee also mentions that the number of governorates covered with activities of the operations of the national program is 14, three of which (Aden, Hudeidah and Haja) have become completely clear of individual mines. It pointed out that the total area of land cleared of mines amounted to 12318778 square meters, representing 82.33% of the total area. The report mentioned that the number of registered victims of landmines and explosives during the period 1999 to 2006 reached around 93 persons as a result of 42 explosion incidents, 37 of them are children and 56 from adults, while 58 of them have died of their wounds resulting from mines and explosives explosion.

Despite the efforts exerted to clear those areas of unexploded mines and explosives they are still spread in many areas and villages, occupying large areas of them. Those explosions cause real horror for the citizens living in those areas where the efforts of the national program for removing mines have benefited only 14 governorates of the country and there are still seven governorates that did not benefit yet from the program operations. The program justifies that by mentioning that priority is given to areas planted with highly effective mines and explosions and then come the areas of medium and low effect. Among other criteria in work of the program is the closeness of the mined areas to infrastructure and agricultural areas and sources of water.
Source: Yemen Times