عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Int’l Report: Yemen Ranks Eighth in Fatalities from Explosives

MASAM removed 142,000 anti-tank mines and 6,400 anti-personnel mines. (MASAM)
MASAM removed 142,000 anti-tank mines and 6,400 anti-personnel mines. (MASAM)
TT
20
TT

Int’l Report: Yemen Ranks Eighth in Fatalities from Explosives

MASAM removed 142,000 anti-tank mines and 6,400 anti-personnel mines. (MASAM)
MASAM removed 142,000 anti-tank mines and 6,400 anti-personnel mines. (MASAM)

The teams of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center's (KSrelief) Masam Project working on the western coast were astonished to uncover substantial quantities of shells strategically placed by Houthi forces near Bab al-Mandab.
This coincides with an international report that has placed Yemen as the eighth country with the highest casualties due to explosives, recording over 17,000 incidents.
The Masam team, engaged in demining operations, expressed surprise at discovering more than 250 unexploded shells laid by the Houthis.
In contrast to the hazardous aftermath left by Houthi activities, the Masam Team 26 is diligently working on clearing and securing an expansive area of approximately 300,000 square meters in Jahbar in Al Khawkhah in order to establish a solar power plant.
Since the project's inception, a total of 427,534 mines have been dismantled, according to MASAM Program Manager Osama Al-Gosaibi.
The total cleared area of Yemeni lands has reached 822,725 square meters since the beginning of January.
17,000 Casualties
A recent international report revealed that Yemen still ranks eighth in terms of civilian casualties by explosives, in which more than 460 civilians were killed during 2023, and more than 17,000 casualties in the past decade.
The latest global explosive violence monitor report from Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), a London-based charity, reveals a disturbing surge in civilian fatalities and incidents of explosive weapon use globally in 2023, with a 122% rise in global civilian fatalities compared to the previous year.
Over the past decade, among the ten worst-affected countries and territories for civilian casualties of explosive violence were Syria (71,359), Iraq (45,398), Afghanistan (27,649), and Yemen (17,125).
Increased Displacement
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported a 75% increase in internally displaced individuals in Yemen in the first week of 2024 compared to the end of December.
Between 31 December 2023 and 6 January 2024, the IOM Yemen Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) tracked 21 households (126 individuals) displaced at least once.
The majority of people moved into/within the following governorates and districts: Marib (11 HHs) - most displacements in the governorate originated from Marib and Al Hodeidah - Taiz (8 HHs) - most displacements originated from Taiz -, and Al Hodeidah (2 HHs) - all displacements were internal.
IOM Yemen DTM tracked 9,977 households (59,862 Individuals) who experienced displacement at least once.

Most Viewed

 
Arab World

Sudan’s Paramilitary Unleashes Drones on Key Targets in Port Sudan

Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
TT
20
TT

Sudan’s Paramilitary Unleashes Drones on Key Targets in Port Sudan

Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

Sudan’s paramilitary unleashed drones on the Red Sea city of Port Sudan early Tuesday, hitting key targets there, including the airport, the port and a hotel, military officials said. The barrage was the second such attack this week on a city that had been a hub for people fleeing Sudan's two-year war.

There was no immediate word on casualties or the extent of damage. Local media reported loud sounds of explosions and fires at the port and the airport. Footage circulating online showed thick smoke rising over the area.

The attack on Port Sudan, which also serves as an interim seat for Sudan's military-allied government, underscores that after two years of fighting, the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are still capable of threatening each other’s territory.

The RSF drones struck early in the morning, said two Sudanese military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Abdel-Rahman al-Nour, a Port Sudan resident, said he woke up to strong explosions, and saw fires and plumes of black smoke rising over the port. Msha’ashir Ahmed, a local journalist living in Port Sudan, said fires were still burning late Tuesday morning in the southern vicinity of the maritime port.

The RSF did not release any statements on the attack. On Sunday, the paramilitary force struck Port Sudan for the first time in the war, disrupting air traffic in the city’s airport, which has been the main entry point for the county in the last two years.

A military ammunition warehouse in the Othman Daqna airbase in the city was also hit, setting off a fire that burned for two days.

When the fighting in Sudan broke out, the focus of the battles initially was the country's capital, Khartoum, which turned into a war zone. Within weeks, Port Sudan, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) to the east of Khartoum, turned into a safe haven for the displaced and those fleeing the war. Many aid missions and UN agencies moved their offices there.

The attacks on Port Sudan are also seen as retaliation after the Sudanese military earlier this month struck the Nyala airport in South Darfur, which the paramilitary RSF has turned into a base and where it gets shipments of arms, including drones.