Political Quotes

“I have spent much of my career in the Senate working to eradicate landmines, which kill and maim far more civilians than combatants. These insidious, inherently indiscriminate weapons often remain active for years or even decades after the fighting has ended and the soldiers have left, lying in wait for the unsuspecting footstep of a child on her way to school, or a farmer working in a field. In 1997, the Yemeni Government signed the Mine Ban Treaty which outlaws the production, stockpiling, export, and use of anti-personnel mines. With the help of international donors, they made great strides in humanitarian demining, to the point that, by 2012, they were on the cusp of declaring the country landmine free. Unfortunately, the civil war between the Houthi rebels supported by Iran, and the Yemeni Government supported by the Saudi-led coalition, changed everything. The use of landmines made a resurgence, due to Iranian mines that the Houthis have planted by the thousands throughout the country. More than 9,000 Yemenis have reportedly been killed or injured by landmines, the overwhelming majority of them innocent civilians. Children are especially vulnerable to mine accidents. They run and play; they explore open fields; they are curious about strange objects. Most children who step on a landmine will die from loss of blood before they can obtain medical attention, and the survivors often do not have access to the specialized care and support they need.…”