Geneva – SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties stated that the tragic incident in Al-Raybi village, Qa’atabah District, northern Al-Dhalea Governorate, which resulted in the death of four children and the serious injury of eight others following the explosion of an explosive remnant of war while they were playing, serves as a painful reminder of the devastating humanitarian consequences of Yemen’s protracted armed conflict and the ongoing threat posed by landmines, unexploded ordnance, and explosive remnants of war to civilians, particularly children.
According to preliminary information, the victims, aged between six and fourteen years old, reportedly found an explosive object in an area near their village before it detonated, killing four children and causing severe injuries to eight others. SAM stressed that this incident should not be viewed as an isolated tragedy but rather as part of a broader and recurring pattern in which children continue to bear the deadly consequences of armed conflict long after active hostilities have subsided.
SAM noted that the continued presence of unexploded ordnance and explosive remnants of war in residential and rural areas constitutes a grave threat to civilians’ rights to life, security, and physical integrity. The incident further reflects a serious failure to protect civilian populations from the lingering effects of military operations. The children who were killed or injured in Al-Raybi were not participants in the conflict, nor were they present in a military zone; they were simply exercising their natural right to play within their community when their environment became a site of lethal danger because of remnants of war.
The organization emphasized that legal responsibility does not end with the occurrence of the explosion itself. Responsibility extends to any party that used, deployed, abandoned, or failed to clear explosive devices, munitions, or other remnants of war in areas accessible to civilians. It also extends to parties exercising effective control over affected areas that failed to adequately warn civilians, secure contaminated locations, or facilitate clearance operations. Under international humanitarian law, parties to an armed conflict are required to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians, including addressing the dangers posed by explosive remnants of war, marking hazardous areas, and preventing civilian access to them.
SAM called for a prompt, independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, including determining the origin of the explosive device, identifying the party responsible for its presence in a civilian area, and examining whether the area had previously been affected by military activities, landmine deployment, or the use of explosive munitions. The investigation should also assess whether adequate measures had been taken by the relevant authorities or controlling parties to protect civilians from foreseeable risks. SAM stressed that the absence of serious investigations into such incidents contributes to impunity and leaves civilians—particularly children—vulnerable to further harm.
The organization underscored that accountability is not merely a symbolic demand but a fundamental prerequisite for preventing future tragedies. Accountability efforts should include identifying both direct and command-level responsibility, ensuring effective remedies for victims and their families, providing appropriate compensation, and guaranteeing immediate access to specialized medical treatment, psychosocial support, and rehabilitation services for injured children and survivors.
SAM further urged local authorities, relevant institutions, and demining organizations to conduct an urgent and comprehensive survey of the affected area and its surroundings, deploy specialized clearance teams to remove explosive hazards, install clear warning signs, and implement immediate risk-awareness campaigns in schools, villages, and rural communities regarding the dangers posed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
The organization reiterated its call on all parties to the conflict in Yemen to strictly comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, disclose information regarding mine-contaminated and hazardous areas, cooperate fully with mine-action and clearance teams, and refrain from any conduct that exposes civilians to the dangers of explosive remnants of war, particularly in or near populated areas.
SAM also called upon the United Nations, international donors, and mine-action agencies to strengthen support for mine-clearance operations and explosive ordnance risk education programs across Yemen, with particular attention to areas experiencing population returns, high civilian density, or significant numbers of children.
SAM concluded by stating that the children who lost their lives in Al-Raybi village were not killed by a mere accident; they were victims of a war that continues to claim lives through the deadly remnants it leaves behind. Preventing the recurrence of such tragedies requires genuine accountability, accelerated clearance of explosive remnants of war, and placing the protection of children at the center of all humanitarian, security, and peacebuilding efforts in Yemen.