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Awareness: A lifeline against the dangers of landmines in Yemen

Exhausted from conflict and ongoing economic hardship, Yemenis are trapped in a crisis that affects their daily life. The persistent unrest and economic decline are driving up poverty levels and restricting people's ability to meet their basic needs. Despite these challenges, Yemenis continue to seek their livelihoods to support their families. However, they are confronted by the constant threat of landmines, which pose significant risks to lives, restrict movement, and deepen the suffering of communities already struggling to survive.

Yemen remains one of the countries most impacted by landmine-contaminated countries globally. This danger complicates efforts for struggling communities to seek livelihoods, particularly in governorates like Taiz, which is among the most affected by landmine contamination.

In these areas, civilians face daily risks of injury or death from explosive ordnance (EO), worsening their already overwhelming challenges.

According to the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), an estimated 5.2 million people in Yemen need mine action interventions, including mine clearance and awareness campaigns, to increase community knowledge of the dangers of mines.

The story of Mohammed

Mohammed is a sheep herder from Al Shayabi village in Taiz Governorate in Yemen, one of the regions most affected by landmine contamination. Their presence significantly hinders Mohammed’s freedom of movement and threatens his livelihood that depends on to the access to the vast land surrounding his village for his sheep to graze. Like many other residents in his village, he lacked sufficient knowledge about the dangers of EO. Without proper awareness, Mohammed faced the hidden danger of landmines daily during this work to support his and his family's livelihoods.

During one of his regular rounds leading his flock to the pasturelands in his village, Mohammed noticed a strange object. Out of curiosity, he picked it up and took it back to his hut, not knowing the danger he had brought back to his home.

Mohammed later attended one of the Danish Refugee Council’s (DRC) explosive ordnance risk education sessions, funded by the European Union, in his village. When the team showed pictures of different types of EO during the session, he realized the object he had brought home was a piece of unexploded ordnance.

It was terrifying! This was the first time I learned about landmines and unexploded ordnance, and the first time I saw their shape from the images presented by DRC’s team.

Mohammed, from Al-Shayabi village

After the session, Mohammed informed DRC’s explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) team about the strange object at his home. This was then immediately referred to DRC’s Manual Mine Clearance team, who confirmed that the object was a 120mm mortar shell, a type of EO.

DRC then explained the danger of the object to Mohammed, highlighting how it could have exploded at any moment. They also acknowledged his quick thinking in reporting the object, which helped prevent potential harm. Since that day, Mohammed has not stopped sharing his story with his friends, saying:

"I feel proud every time I tell my friends how I helped DRC get rid of the explosive ordnance."

Equipped with this new knowledge and awareness, Mohammed and other members of his village can now travel more carefully through the pasturelands of their village and maintain their livelihoods.

Mohammed’s story underscores the importance of awareness and education about EO in saving lives and helping communities protect themselves from the constant threat of contamination. As the threat of contamination persists, safeguarding Yemeni communities remains essential through awareness-raising, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to recognize risks and protect themselves.

Mohammed and his father describe to DRC’s team member how they found the explosive ordnance in Al Shayabi village, Mocha district, Taiz governorate.

DRC’s explosive ordnance risk education response in Yemen

In response to these challenges, DRC in Yemen is working to clear lands and raise awareness about the dangers of EO. Under these efforts and with support from the European Union, DRC has reached 16,207 people through lifesaving EORE activities, implemented across 741 sessions in Mawza and Mokha districts in Taiz Governorate and Khokha District in Hodeidah Governorate, since July 2023.

One of DRC’s explosive ordnance risk education team members raises awareness about the dangers of landmines during a session in Al-Shayabi village, Mocha District, Taiz Governorate.