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Special report on support for mine victims

[Yemen] Controlled mine explosions. Yemen's Executive Mine Action Centre
Controlled mine explosions in Yemen.
Teenager Sabah was in the forest collecting wood one day in the western Yemeni governorate of Hodaida when her life was completely destroyed. "I went into an area where I usually don't go and began to chop away at the tree. Suddenly I was thrown into the air and after that I remember rolling down a mountain and looking around me only to see that part of my leg had been blown off and my other leg was hanging off," she told IRIN in the capital, Sana'a. Sabah was left in that condition for six hours before her aunt came to the rescue. "Nobody wanted to come into the field in fear of being blown up," she explained. "I was scared and thought the eagles would come and eat me alive." A friend of Sabah’s heard the blast and was collecting wood nearby, she came to see what had happened and sat in shock for five hours close to her until she too was rescued. "It took hours to get to the hospital and the truck had a flat tyre four times," she explained. Five years on Sabah, now in her 20’s and dressed traditionally in a black abaya (coat covering most of the face and body), said she was able to walk with the aid of prosthetic legs provided by the UN-backed mine victim support centre, run by the local authorities, after both of her legs were amputated. "There are many girls in our village who have been blown up like me; one is now in a wheel chair," she added, describing the scale of the problem. It is estimated that some 5,000 people have been killed or injured in mine-related accidents in Yemen to date. However, this number could be a lot higher as many deaths in rural areas go unreported. "The impact is huge as the mines block access to areas, to water, land and roads," Jamal Jarallah Jawbah, programme analyst for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), told IRIN in Sana'a. The extent of the mine problem stretches across 19 of 21 governorates in Yemen, although two have been cleared in Aden in the south and Hodaida in the west of the country. Mines were laid during four conflicts after the 1962 revolution in the country. After the reunification between the north and south in 1990, a separation war followed in 1994 in which most of the mines were planted. The total area covered with landmines across the country is some 923 sq km, according to a landmine survey carried out in 2000. This was the first such survey conducted in the world and it took one year to complete. The survey identified 592 mine-affected communities out of which 14 were highly affected and contained a large number of casualties. There are 14 high priority communities to be cleared, 84 medium and 494 low, according to Jawbah. UNDP is now planning an assessment in 2005 to establish what sort of economic impact has taken place in mine-affected areas. The UNDP mine action project, which started in May 1999, includes training for capacity building and mine clearance and these activities were implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). It is now in the second phase where command is being handed over to the local authorities. The project enjoys funding from Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, the US, the UK, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia. Jawbah said the project is a good model for other countries to follow as it creates local jobs. "Deminers in Yemen are cost-effective because they are former soldiers and not NGOs or privately hired consultants." SUPPORT FOR MINE VICTIMS "The survey carried out in affected areas in 2000 meant that we could offer medical examinations to people for further treatment," Mansour M. al-Azi, director of Yemen's Executive Mine Action Centre, told IRIN. This survey also encouraged women in rural areas, injured by mines, to come forward; they would often not leave the house in search of medical help for cultural reasons. "We offer medical evacuation and pay for hospital bills and wheelchairs. There is an artificial limb centre with specialised doctors and physiotherapists," al-Azi said. In total, 79 surgical operations have been carried out at the centre so far and help is also offered to disabled people. Inside the well-equipped centre there are separate departments for men and women. "We deal with paralysis and provide therapy for fractures," physiotherapist, Ilham Sharif, told IRIN at the centre in Sana'a. As Sharif explained the types of treatment available, women in abayas were making use of the gym where all sorts of machines were on offer to help them make a speedy recovery. In one corner, two ladies helped an elderly woman exercise her arm, causing her to scream out in pain. "It is painful, but it is necessary," she told IRIN. Staff at the centre boast that there are some 100 patients, either mine victims or those with disabilities, visiting daily. "We help people get better so they can try and live a normal life," Sharif added. "The centre has really helped me by providing me with an artificial leg," Salah Khaled Mansoor, told IRIN. "At first I did not want it because I thought it would be useless, but at least I can walk now and have some freedom," he explained as he pulled up his trouser leg to show his artificial leg. "I had a lot of problems with balancing before but after visiting the centre I am much better now," he smiled. In another corner of the centre rows of workshops house craftsmen who are busy making artificial limbs - up to 15 per day depending on demand. MINE AWARENESS Effective mine awareness has had some impact, according to officials. Schools are targeted almost every day as well as outreach work in villages. "We are also training the Sheikhs in villages to pass on information. And we tell children how to get out of a minefield," Jawbah said. In 2000, there were 27 mine-related accidents per month countrywide and this has now dropped to between two and four. "We believe this has only been possible through mine awareness," the UN official said, noting that there had been a 90 percent reduction in accidents since 1999. METHODS Clearing a minefield is a laborious and time-consuming task. Minefields are divided into 25 sq metre boxes in which a team of two work on clearing. A quality assurance team is brought in afterwards to double check that the area is clear, otherwise the demining process is repeated. There are some 1,000 deminers in Yemen who are only able to cover 18 sq metres per day so it is a slow process. Dogs are used too but not in desert areas. "UXOs [Unexploded ordnance] are of particular threat as they cause mass destruction. One UXO can kill up to 10 children and in 2000 there was a case where 22 were killed and injured by one UXO," al-Azi explained. Yemen, which is a signatory to the Ottawa Convention to ban landmines, has a 10-year programme in place and hopes to be free of the negative impact of mines by 2009. "We hope we will be free of this menace but we are in need of funds and more help from the donors," he stressed. LIVING A NORMAL LIFE Reintegration is an important part of the project. "We teach those who have been injured skills that they can use even though they have artificial limbs," al-Azi explained. The type of training on offer includes embroidery, tailoring, electronics and engineering. "So far 100 mine survivors have participated in the classes and we hope to increase this number," he added. For more difficult cases, Yemeni authorities came to an agreement in 2004 with the Italian government to evacuate complicated cases and treat them there with help from highly experienced doctors. Al-Azi spoke of a case where a girl with severe injuries to her head following a landmine accident was referred to a hospital in Italy. "She had pieces of bone missing from her head, severe damage to one eye and a damaged hand. Doctors in Italy were able to treat her and give her some normality." Due to the length of time needed to treat complicated cases, only two people have been sent so far and there are many cases waiting. "We would call on other governments to follow this example from Italy and help them live a normal life again," al-Azi said. Photo gallery

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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