Tragedy Strikes Southwest Yemen: Five Children Killed in Blast
In a devastating incident that underscores the ongoing perils facing civilians in Yemen, at least five children were killed in a blast in the southwestern city of Taiz on Friday, July 11, 2025. The victims were reportedly playing football in a residential area when an explosive device detonated, instantly claiming their young lives.
The exact circumstances surrounding the blast in the al-Hashmah subdistrict of Taiz province remain under investigation. However, preliminary reports from rights groups, including the Yemen Center for Human Rights and Eye of Humanity, as well as Houthi-controlled media, suggest the explosion may have been caused by an artillery shell fired by militias. Witnesses on the ground corroborated that the children were engaged in a game of football when the tragic event occurred. In addition to the fatalities, at least three other individuals sustained minor to moderate injuries and were transported to a local hospital.
This incident is a stark reminder of the deadly legacy of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and landmines scattered across Yemen. The country remains one of the most heavily contaminated in the world due to decades of repeated armed conflict. Such remnants of war pose a constant and indiscriminate threat, particularly to children who often encounter them while playing in seemingly safe areas.
Save the Children has reported that the deaths in Taiz bring the number of child casualties from UXOs and landmines this year to at least 40. In the first half of 2025 alone, these explosive remnants of war have killed or injured 107 civilians, following a total of 260 casualties in 2024, over a third of whom were children.
YEMEN: DEATHS OF FIVE CHILDREN IN UXO BLAST WHILE PLAYING SOCCER HIGHLIGHTS NEEDS TO FUND MINE ACTIVITIES
A Forgotten Crisis: The Broader Humanitarian Context
The tragedy in Taiz is not an isolated event but a grim manifestation of Yemen's protracted civil war, which began in 2014 when the Houthi movement seized the capital, Sanaa. The conflict has plunged Yemen into one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. While a ceasefire in 2022 brought a period of reduced violence, the situation remains fragile, and localized clashes, coupled with the widespread presence of unexploded ordnance, continue to endanger lives.
Al Jazeera's reporting on the incident: At least five children killed in blast in southwest Yemen | Conflict News - Al Jazeera
.Associated Press coverage: A blast in Yemen kills 5 children who were playing soccer - AP News
The humanitarian situation in Yemen is dire:
Widespread Displacement: Over 4.5 million people have been internally displaced since 2015, with many forced to move multiple times, living in overcrowded camps often lacking basic amenities like clean water and sanitation.
- Acute Food Insecurity: More than 18 million people – over half the population – are in need of humanitarian assistance, with nearly half the population in government-controlled southern areas facing acute food insecurity. Five million are at risk of famine.
- Healthcare Collapse: The country's healthcare system is in ruins, with only about 50% of health facilities operational. This has led to a rise in preventable diseases and a severe lack of access to medical care, especially in remote areas.
- Underfunded Aid: Despite the enormous needs, humanitarian response efforts in Yemen are severely underfunded. This forces aid organizations to reduce or halt critical programs, including vital mine action activities like clearance, risk education, and victim assistance.
The deaths of these five children in Taiz serve as a poignant call to action. Humanitarian organizations are urging donors to urgently restore and increase funding for mine action programs and risk education initiatives to protect vulnerable communities, particularly children, from the deadly impact of landmines and UXOs. Furthermore, there is a renewed plea to all parties to the conflict to cease the use of landmines and other explosive weapons and to fully respect international humanitarian law to prevent further civilian harm.
.Save the Children International: https://www.savethechildren.net/yemen
.UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/attack-taiz-leaves-7-children-dead-brings-total-child-casualties-yemen-27-just-over (Note: This specific UNICEF link refers to an earlier incident, but provides good context on child casualties and their work in Yemen)
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