Houthi mine blast kills 3 children in Yemen

Three children were killed in a mine explosion in Yemen's oil-rich northern province of Marib, a local government official said Wednesday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the tragedy occurred on Tuesday when the children from the same family were playing in an area near the As-Suwayda camp for displaced people and accidentally triggered a landmine.

The As-Suwayda camp is one of the largest displacement camps in Marib, providing shelter for around 2,000 displaced families.

The mine explosion is a reminder of the dangers faced by civilians, especially children, in Yemen's long-running civil war, which left the country littered with landmines, making it one of the most heavily mined countries in the world.

In April, the Yemeni government made an urgent appeal for international assistance to clear landmines and other explosive remnants of war.

Yemeni demining experts said more than 1 million landmines have been laid since the outbreak of the civil war in late 2014 when the Houthi militia took control of several northern provinces and forced the Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa.

Yemen is grappling with what the United Nations calls one of the world's worst humanitarian crises during eight years of war that has divided the country and wrecked the economy and infrastructure.

The Houthis have faced criticism from humanitarian organisations for impeding aid movement, which has also led to concern from donor states.

In 2023, some 21 million people, or two thirds of Yemen's population, will need humanitarian aid and protection, according to the United Nations.

More than 14 million people are in acute need. An estimated 4.5 million people, including 2 million children, are displaced, most of whom have been forced to relocate multiple times.