Land mines shatter young lives in Yemen

HAJJAH, Yemen－For 12-year-old Raed Gerbhi, a terrible explosion on a cold December day in Yemen's northern province of Hajjah left an indelible mark in his life. What started out as a normal day to herd sheep together with his friends ended in tragedy.

Without warning, a land mine exploded under Gerbhi's feet, blowing off his right leg and wounding his hands. His three friends were knocked meters away by the shock wave, but miraculously escaped from the explosion unscathed.

Residents of Bani Faid village said the government army sent a demining team and military unit to cordon off the area, along with an ambulance which took Gerbhi and his parents to a nearby hospital and then the Saudi Arabian city of Jazan for treatment.