The United Nations Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) reported that landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) claimed the lives of 41 civilians and injured 52 others in Yemen’s western province of Al Hudaydah throughout 2024. The agency documented 61 incidents involving mines and ERW, with women and children making up 40% of the casualties.

The southern districts of Ad Durayhimi, Al Hali, and At Tuhayat were identified as the most affected areas, according to the UNMHA statement released on Wednesday. UNMHA, established in January 2019, is responsible for monitoring the ceasefire and military disengagement in Al Hudaydah, a strategic port city on the Red Sea.

Yemen has been heavily contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance since the civil war erupted in late 2014 after Houthi fighters seized the capital, Sanaa. The ongoing conflict between the Iran-aligned Houthi group and the internationally recognized Yemeni government has devastated the country, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of deploying more than 2 million landmines across the country, posing severe risks to civilians even in areas where fighting has subsided. These mines and remnants of war continue to hinder safe movement and threaten the lives of returnees and displaced families.