Displaced Yemenis returning to liberated parts of Hodeidah say retreating Houthis left behind landmines, which have killed civilians and made entire districts unsafe.
Houthi rebels have controlled the critical port city on Yemen’s Red Sea coast since 2015.
Pro-government forces have been poised to retake the city since June, but amid fears of a humanitarian catastrophe, an offensive was delayed to give diplomacy a chance.
Pro-government troops advanced into southern districts of Hodeidah, but under the terms of a UN-brokered ceasefire reached in Sweden this month, both sides must withdraw from the city.
However, even if the opponents adhere to the ceasefire, displaced Hodeidah residents say the threat from landmines will stop many returning home.
Abdo Omar, 14, tried to go home two months ago. His family hired a minibus to return to Al Mansouria district, east of Hodeidah, from the displacement camp in which they were living in Khokha. But the vehicle hit a landmine on the way.
“My 14-year-old brother Yazan was killed and one of my sisters was badly injured,” said Abdo, who lost one of his legs in the blast.
Now living back at the displacement camp, he said his family were reluctant to try going home again.
“After losing our brother and a part of my body, we are fearful of ever getting back home,” Abdo said.
Another resident of Hodeidah who fled for the southern city of Mokha said his aunt was killed in a landmine explosion when she returned to her home.
“She went back to check on her house after it had stood empty for several years, but as soon as she stepped in the door she was killed by a mine,” said Nashwan Sha’wa, 23.
“Losing my aunt in such an unexpected way has caused tremendous fear for the whole family. We feel like mines could be hidden in any of our homes, so we don’t want to go home until we know our houses are not contaminated.”
Officials in Hodeidah called for the UN to send a demining team to the city.
“This must be taken seriously,” said Dr Ali Al Adhal, the director of public health in Hodeidah. “We’re asking for the UN to send deminers to help clear the city of these hidden killers.”
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Read more:
Yemen war: UN to convene Yemen rivals by video link regarding Hodeidah ceasefire
Yemen's Houthi rebels face a choice of military or political power
Head of UN ceasefire monitoring team arrives in Hodeidah
Joint Assessment Team defends Arab Coalition in Yemen
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A journalist in Hodeidah said that without demining, the ceasefire was unlikely to benefit residents.
"Thousands of displaced civilians won't go back home while the city is still contaminated by thousands of Houthi mines," said Fares Dokhn, who works for local website News Yemen.
“They will remain a threat for decades unless the UN and the Arab Coalition take serious steps to remove them.”
It is believed that the Houthis planted thousands of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines in farms around the city, along roadsides and in the desert, said Maj Gen Qaid Haytham, the executive director of the Mines Action Centre.
Abandoned homes, schools and government buildings in Hodeidah have also been mined, Maj Gen Haytham said.
“The mines planted by the Houthis are mostly unmapped except in some areas such as Bab Al Mandeb, where we found thousands of mines planted in an organised manner,” he said.
“But in the other areas, from Mokha up to Hodeidah, the mines were unmapped and randomly planted.”
In August, a Saudi organisation claimed that the Houthis may have planted one million mines and improvised explosive devices since 2015.
UAE demining teams reported in August that they had already cleared 40,000 such devices.
Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m, Winner SS Lamea, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer).
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m, Winner AF Makerah, Sean Kirrane, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m, Winner Maaly Al Reef, Brett Doyle, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,600m, Winner AF Momtaz, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m, Winner Morjanah Al Reef, Brett Doyle, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,200m, Winner Mudarrab, Jim Crowley, Erwan Charpy
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
Fitness problems in men's tennis
Andy Murray - hip
Novak Djokovic - elbow
Roger Federer - back
Stan Wawrinka - knee
Kei Nishikori - wrist
Marin Cilic - adductor
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars
PROFILE BOX
Company name: Overwrite.ai
Founder: Ayman Alashkar
Started: Established in 2020
Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai
Sector: PropTech
Initial investment: Self-funded by founder
Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
World Test Championship table
1 India 71 per cent
2 New Zealand 70 per cent
3 Australia 69.2 per cent
4 England 64.1 per cent
5 Pakistan 43.3 per cent
6 West Indies 33.3 per cent
7 South Africa 30 per cent
8 Sri Lanka 16.7 per cent
9 Bangladesh 0
MATCH INFO
France 3
Umtiti (8'), Griezmann (29' pen), Dembele (63')
Italy 1
Bonucci (36')
India squad for fourth and fifth Tests
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Shaw, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur, Vihari
Company%C2%A0profile
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JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Al Jazira's foreign quartet for 2017/18
Romarinho, Brazil
Lassana Diarra, France
Sardor Rashidov, Uzbekistan
Mbark Boussoufa, Morocco
Company%20Profile
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Company profile
Company name: Nestrom
Started: 2017
Co-founders: Yousef Wadi, Kanaan Manasrah and Shadi Shalabi
Based: Jordan
Sector: Technology
Initial investment: Close to $100,000
Investors: Propeller, 500 Startups, Wamda Capital, Agrimatico, Techstars and some angel investors
Queen
Nicki Minaj
(Young Money/Cash Money)
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
