The first conference of the Partnership works in Mine Action works began on Wednesday in Sana’a, organized by the YEMAC, with the participation of the SCMCHA, the UNDP, UNICEF, the ICRC, OCHA, and a number of Organizations operating in Yemen.
The two-day conference aims to draw the attention of the concerned international bodies and organizations to the humanitarian aspects of mines in Yemen, and to find solutions to alleviate the suffering of civil societies as a result.
At the opening of the conference, the head of The Yemen Executive Mine Action Centre (YEMAC), Ali Safra, pointed out the importance of the conference, which includes all the supporting and working agencies and organizations working in the field of mine action and clearance in Yemen. He reviewed the activities and awareness programs carried out by the center in all affected provinces, in cooperation and partnership with the supporting authorities.
Safra stressed the need to expand mine action and target the most affected governorates, pointing out that the Saudi-led coalition used prohibited weapons, including cluster bombs and prohibited missiles.
He explained that since 2015, eight thousand and 104 victims of cluster bombs and remnants of war have been recorded in various provinces, indicating that the center suffers from a lack of support, budgets, supplies, and devices designated for dealing with mines, which hinders its work in the field.
He said: “There are devices and equipment for mines that are still being held in Djibouti, and they need advocacy from UN and international organizations to enter these devices.” Pointing out that the center is facing a catastrophe as a result of the presence of multiple types of remnants of air strikes and cluster bombs at the level of all provinces. Monitor about twenty types of cluster bombs.
The head of the center stressed that the Saudi coalition contributed significantly to the expansion of the scope and size of the spread and breadth of pollution, which put Yemen in the first place, according to what was stated by the Director of the United Nations Mine Action Service “UNMAS” Eileen Cullen during her visit to Yemen in December of last year. Pointing to the impact Direct use of mines and cluster bombs on the agricultural sector, both plant and animal, which represents the most important source of livelihood for the Yemeni citizen.
He indicated that the agricultural lands that were directly affected amounted to 783 thousand and 690 farms, in addition to 132 one hundred hectares, which need intervention from the Executive Center according to the request of the Ministry of Agriculture and local authorities and the appeals of citizens, in addition to the damage to the animal sector, which amounts to three million and 500 thousand heads. of livestock, according to the statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Safra stressed the need for cooperation and direct coordination to improve the level of work and benefit from experiences and developments in the field of mine clearance, praising the efforts of all organizations working in Yemen to cooperate with the Executive Center for Mine Action in alleviating the impact of wars that targeted Yemen.
For his part, the head of the International Cooperation Department of the Supreme Council for the Management and Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Ali Al-Kuhlani, pointed out the importance of the conference, which comes in light of the many victims falling daily as a result of mines.
He stressed that humanitarian work should not be exchanged for any political agenda, but rather work as a team to save the lives of innocent people and help the injured and the families of the victims who fell as a result of those mines and explosives that were planted in the places where civil societies are located.
Al-Kuhlani explained that Yemen is facing a great disaster, the size of which is known only to those who live in the polluted provinces and areas, which caused the inability of many to return to their homes and lands, and led to the displacement of large numbers to other governorates in the hope that their areas would be cleared of mines and explosives, pointing to the importance of The role of the United Nations organizations and organizations operating in Yemen in alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni citizen, by pressing to allow the entry of mine-clearing equipment held by the Saudi coalition.
While the Director of the OCHA Office, Sajjad Muhammad, and the representative of the Red Cross, Maya Ordiza, affirmed that Yemen is one of the countries most affected by mines in the world, which requires the international community to support humanitarian activities for mine action throughout Yemen.
They pointed out that these humanitarian actions are the first pillar to allow the safe return of the displaced to their areas of origin, and it is also a first step in the process of rehabilitating vital infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and water pipelines that were located near the front lines.
They pointed out that the ICRC has strengthened its support for the mine-related humanitarian sector by supporting civilians affected by mines and explosives.
They stressed the need to find an effective and collective solution to alleviate the suffering of civil societies by bringing in new expertise and resources to support these efforts, and to increase mine action throughout Yemen.
The conference reviewed the size and scope of pollution, and the challenges and difficulties that hinder the work of the Executive Center for Mine Action, in addition to reviewing and discussing the gap in dealing with mines by OCHA and the Development Program.
Resource: Saba
