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A safer future for Al Shami through EU-funded mine clearance and risk education

In Taiz's Al-Shami village, landmine contamination severely disrupted daily life, preventing residents from moving safely, farming, or letting their children play outside. As families returned home following the West Coast conflict, the presence of mines became clear, but their true danger was only understood after explosions began striking vehicles and livestock, leaving the community in constant fear.

We used to find strange objects on the ground and thought they were ordinary things. They looked like the pot lids we use for cooking, until we saw them explode—once under a passing car—and this type of incident kept repeating. Only then did we realize we were living on top of a minefield.

Abdullah, a returnee from displacement and the current community leader of Al-Shami village in Taiz, Yemen.

Abdullah Story

A state of fear prevailed, affecting everyday life. No one dared to move freely anymore; agricultural lands were abandoned, and children’s movement and their ability to enjoy playing outdoors were strictly curtailed.

With the funding from the European Union (EU), the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) Risk Education team was able to provide awareness sessions to the majority residents in the Al-Shami area. This education reached all segments of the village—men, women, children, and the elderly. It significantly raised the community's awareness on how to identify strange objects, the importance of staying away from them, and the mechanism for reporting them to the community leader.

A DRC Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) team member delivers a risk education session to community members, including children, in Al Shami village, Taiz Governorate. The session raised awareness of the dangers posed by landmines and other explosive hazards and promoted safe behaviour practices. Photo: Mohammed Amed/DRC

Describing the impact of these sessions, Abdullah says:

"If it weren't for the risk education, there would be even more victims. The increased safety and the reduction in incidents in the area are undeniable. They made us take the danger of these objects seriously. Today, residents immediately report any strange object they find."

Following the risk education, and with support from the European Union, DRC demining teams cleared two minefields in Al-Shami village. This clearance has allowed parents to let their children play in the cleared zones without restricting their movement and, finally, released arable farmland for much-needed agriculture and economic development. Abdullah notes:

"We have overcome the constant fear we harbored for our children. However, we only allow them to play in the areas that have been cleared and confirmed safe by DRC."

With their livelihoods impacted by the legacy of conflict, many in the community faced extreme economic hardship or were driven far afield to seek alternative work. Now, farmers have started to return to their fields.

Abdullah concludes, "Our land is our livelihood, and we are eagerly looking forward to the end of the clearance operations so we can return to plowing and farming our land once again."

Thanks to funding from the EU through its Humanitarian Aid Operations, DRC reached 5,000 individuals with risk education, provided 1,662 EORE sessions, and cleared 64,000 square meters of land in Hodeidah and Taiz between July 2023 and May 2026.