They were running forward trying to save their lives, when something penetrated their feet and stopped their movement, the sound was terrifying enough to snatch the lives of some, while others continued to struggle with the unknown.
Forty-year-old fisherman Marwan Abdullah, a resident of Al-Hodeidah, in western Yemen, told "Khuyut": "I did not feel those around me, I started to slowly close my eyes and surrender myself to fate. When I woke up, I found myself losing both my legs, and since then my life has changed radically, and I ended up categorized as “People with Special Needs”.
This is how Marwan described the harshest moments of his life when a mine exploded on him along with his family in his place of residence in the countryside of Al-Qataba in Al-Hodeidah Governorate, while he and his family were displaced by the war.
The year 1997 witnessed the signing of the first ever agreement by 123 countries to ban the development, production, stockpiling, transfer and use of anti-personnel mines, a weapon that was already widely used. The use and production of this weapon has significantly declined 15 years after the adoption of this agreement, while the data on the elimination of these weapons, the destruction of their stockpiles and the rates of injury resulting from them show undeniable progress. However, more needs to be done.
Expensive cost
On December 19, 2021, Marwan escaped death when some were able to transfer him to the hospital after he was injured by a mine explosion, and after the effect of the “anesthesia” on his exhausted body ended, he learned that he had lost his legs, his sister and friend died, and his wife was injured by shrapnel along with the rest of the members his family.
Marwan deliberately forced himself to forget about installing prosthetic feet, as he has no money other than what good people give him, after he used to support his family from his work in catching fish. While I also had to forget about installing artificial feet in light of his deteriorating living conditions
Many landmine survivors, their families and mine-affected communities continue to face troubles in accessing the services they need. This means that there is a need to exert more effort to improve and enhance their access to these services.
On the other hand, the rate of demining is also very slow, which is a major challenge for the population living in areas affected by landmines and has a disastrous impact not only in terms of physical and psychological suffering, but also in terms of economic and social costs.
Chances to continue life
With his injury, Marwan joined a long list of war casualties who had their limbs amputated since 2015. Marwan found himself forced to deal with his new life without feet, and decided to face the bitterness of displacement and the responsibility towards his children, the oldest of whom is 6 years old and the youngest is 4 years old as he determined to defy his disability.
Souad Qassem, a professor of sociology, told "Khuyut", "some Arab societies still look at people with disabilities with pity at times, and with disdain at other times, as they are often considered an undesirable marginalized group."
Qassem attributed this to several reasons, including stereotyped ideas that do not change, and then due to the lack of legislations that protect their rights on the street, in institutions, at work or in any other places. While the reality of people with disabilities are basically cruel in the Arab region within normal conditions, the wars and conflicts that Yemen has been going through for years have led to a further deterioration in the conditions of people with disabilities. An Amnesty International report, published on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and dealing with the conditions of this group in Yemen, says that millions of these people are being "ignored and betrayed" in a poor country devastated by war throughout the past years.
Marwan deliberately, forced to forget about the installation of prosthetic feet, as he has no money other than what good people donated him, after he used to support his family from his work in catching fish. At the same time, he had to forget about installing prosthetic feet in light of his deteriorating living conditions, while the concerned authorities ignore people like him.
Rehabilitation of the injured
Persons with disabilities are considered one of the most marginalized groups during armed conflicts and crises, despite the increasing calls to improve ways of integrating them into humanitarian aid programmes, as they face significant obstacles in obtaining their rights on an equal basis with others. Additionally, they are still excluded from effective participation and representation. in decision-making processes.
There may be some prosthetic centers in Yemen, but the amputee must move between cities to visit the centers, which increases the suffering of the injured “who need someone to take them to the limb-fitting center. This creates financial burdens on them, and they are mostly unemployed, and consequently do not have the costs of transportation between their homes and medical centers.
According to Dr. Souad Qassem, professor of sociology, amputees need to be rehabilitated by providing job opportunities or building their capacity so they can find a job and source for income to help them in their livelihood.
The United Nations has designated the third of December of each year as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, since 1992, to support this category. This occasion aims to raise awareness of disability issues and support friendly designs for all, in order to guarantee the rights of people with disabilities, and also calls for their inclusion in political, economic, cultural and social life.
