Latest from Al Mawqea Post
Al Mawqea Post
10-06-2025
- Al Mawqea Post
Gold Mines in Hajjah: Open Graves Swallowing the Souls of the Innocent
In the rugged highlands of Hajjah governorate in northwestern Yemen, dozens of young men embark daily on a death-defying adventure in traditional gold mines. They dream of a handful of the precious metal to lift them from a life of misery, but at any moment, these mines can turn into open graves, swallowing their dreams and their lives. In a scene that embodies this bitter reality, six people were killed on Monday when a primitive gold mine collapsed in Jabal al-Manjam, in the village of Bani Raiban, Kushar district, Hajjah governorate. The pit they dug became a mass grave, revealing the grim face of unregulated gold mining in these forgotten mountains. Hajjah Governorate Police stated in an official announcement that the collapsed mine was operated haphazardly. The collapse led to the deaths of Mohammed Ali Hussein Raiban, Farouq Raji Saleh Raiban, Mohammed Hadi Sarhan Raiban, Ahmed Ali Hussein Raiban, Nasrallah Yahya Saleh Raiban, and Ramzi Ali Saleh Raiban. Ali Saifan Mujammal Raiban was critically injured. The police confirmed that the victims had been detained days earlier for illegal excavation and were released after signing a written pledge not to repeat the offense. However, according to the statement, they secretly returned to work. The Earth Split Open and Swallowed Them "It was as if the earth split open and swallowed them," says Ahmed Raiban, an eyewitness and local resident, speaking to Al-Mawqea Post. "We heard the sound of digging in the morning, and suddenly we heard a loud collapse. We rushed to the site, but the dust was thick, and the screams were muffled. It took several hours to retrieve the bodies of the victims." He adds with sorrow, "This is not the first incident, and it won't be the last unless this recklessness is stopped immediately. People here live on hope, thinking they will find gold and bid farewell to poverty, but they end up under the dirt." Great Dangers Primitive gold prospecting in Hajjah involves significant risks, including collapses, high mortality rates, environmental pollution, and health damage to workers due to the use of mercury in refining the yellow metal. Since the outbreak of the war and the deterioration of economic conditions in Yemen, dozens of unemployed young men have flocked to traditional mining areas in the Kushar and Aflah al-Sham districts. Armed with simple tools—shovels, pickaxes, and hoes—they hope to obtain a few grams of gold. "We go out every morning not knowing if we will return," says Hassan Ali, a man in his mid-twenties working in an unregulated gold mine in Aflah al-Sham district. "How many friends have we buried here? These pits swallow us like graves." Speaking to Al-Mawqea Post, Hassan adds, "We work for hours inside narrow, unventilated pits without any safety equipment. Every time we go down into the hole, we say we might not come back, but we have no choice. Poverty is harsher than fear." Suleiman, another worker in traditional mining in the neighboring Kushar district, said, "The danger is not limited to collapses. We face scorpion stings and snakes, and we travel in isolated areas where no one can reach us if something bad happens." Deadly Toxins The danger doesn't stop at rockfalls. Chemicals used in gold extraction, such as mercury, are used without regulation and can seep into groundwater, destroying the environment and leaving fatal health effects on humans. According to the World Health Organization, exposure to mercury poses a threat to the nervous, digestive, and immune systems and can, in some cases, lead to death. A local activist, who declined to be named for security reasons, says, "People here work in dangerous conditions. They inhale toxic dust and handle deadly chemicals like mercury without sufficient awareness. Children play near the mining sites, and women fetch water from contaminated wells." He adds to Al-Mawqea Post, "The entire area has become polluted. The taste of the well water has changed, and people complain of skin and respiratory diseases. Mercury is sold in grocery stores in plain sight and is used randomly while the state remains silent." Activists have called on official authorities in Hajjah to impose strict controls on mining activities, provide safety and rescue equipment, and offer economic alternatives for those searching for gold. Gold Fever The districts of Kushar and Aflah al-Sham in Hajjah are witnessing a wide proliferation of unregulated gold mines, dug by residents themselves without licenses. They use simple, primitive tools with no safety equipment or technical supervision. The number of active illegal sites in these two districts is estimated in the dozens. Most are discovered through traditional means, after which locals flock to them, repeating a dangerous pattern of "gold fever" that spreads in the absence of the state and the prevalence of poverty and unemployment. Workers in the artisanal mining sector in Hajjah rely on old hand tools amidst a lack of awareness and widespread ignorance among the majority of laborers, who have abandoned their agricultural lands to chase the lure of the precious metal. A Wasted Fortune The Aflah al-Sham district in Hajjah is home to Yemen's largest gold mine, the "Al-Hariga" mine, which was established by the Canadian company Cantex in 1996 after it discovered over 96 million grams of gold. The Al-Hariga mountain in Aflah al-Sham, where the largest gold mine is located, is part of a mountain range that extends to the neighboring Kushar district, whose mountains also contain large quantities of gold and other precious metals. The Geological Survey and Mineral Resources Board estimates the gold reserves in the Al-Hariga mine at 30 million tons, with a content ranging from 1 to 1.65 grams of gold per ton of gold-bearing rock. Despite the economic importance of this mine, it has not been exploited by the state or licensed companies. This has opened the door for locals to attempt to exploit it using primitive methods, which later led to the expansion of unregulated mining to include large areas like Kushar, Al-Abyssa, and other neighboring rural areas.
Al Mawqea Post
23-05-2025
- Al Mawqea Post
Yemen: Casualties and Losses in Ammunition Depot Explosion in Sanaa Amid Houthi Silence
Eyewitnesses in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, reported numerous casualties and extensive material and human losses following the explosion of a weapons depot affiliated with the Houthi group in the outskirts of the city. Preliminary (unofficial) reports indicate that at least seventy people, including children, were killed in the explosion, which occurred at Khashm al-Bakrah military camp, located between the Sarf and al-Hatarish areas in the Bani Hashish district. Residents told Al-Mawqe Post those three consecutive explosions took place inside a hangar, with the third blast occurring in the basement of a residential building. The incident shook the densely populated area, causing significant destruction to nearby homes and resulting in numerous casualties. The exact type of weapons involved remains unknown, but local accounts suggest that the depot stored machine gun ammunition, mortar shells, and other explosives. Activists on social media circulated footage capturing the moments of the explosion, the panic of residents, and rescue efforts for the wounded. Other videos revealed the scale of destruction in the surrounding neighborhood. Sources in Sanaa told Al-Mawqe Post that the explosion in the building's basement killed at least three families, while the injured were rushed to Al-Jumhuriya and Police Hospitals. The Houthi group has not issued any statements about the explosion or its causes. The group has imposed a strict information blackout, swiftly cordoned off the area with a security perimeter, and began inspecting anyone entering or leaving the explosion site.
Al Mawqea Post
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Mawqea Post
First UN Plane Arrives at Sanaa Airport Days After Israeli Bombing
Authorities at Sanaa International Airport announced the arrival of the first United Nations flight just days after the airport was subjected to intense Israeli bombing, which caused extensive damage to many of its facilities and buildings. The plane arrived on Thursday morning following the airport's rehabilitation, according to the Director-General of Sanaa Airport, Khalid Al-Shayef. In a post on the X platform, Al-Shayef stated that the airport is now ready to receive flights and is expected to handle ten UN flights today. The airport was recently targeted by a series of Israeli strikes that caused widespread damage to its infrastructure and facilities, and also destroyed several Yemeni aircraft parked on-site.
Al Mawqea Post
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Mawqea Post
Yemen: Israel Launches Fiercest Raids on Several Targets in the Capital, Sana
Israel launched a series of airstrikes on the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, hitting around ten sites, according to Hebrew media reports. According to media outlets affiliated with the Houthi group, the strikes targeted the central Dhahban power station in Bani Al-Harith in Sana'a, the passenger terminal, civilian aircraft, and service facilities at Sana'a International Airport. The runways and control tower were also hit, along with the Attan area southwest of the capital, the central Haziiz power station in the Sanhan district, a power station in the Asr area, the Amran cement factory, and several fuel storage sites in different areas. Activists documented thick smoke rising from multiple locations across the capital. Footage also showed damage to aircraft at Sana'a International Airport, and smoke continued to billow for an extended period. Israeli media reported that the airstrikes rendered Sana'a Airport inoperable, with warnings that further attacks could follow. This marks the second time Israel has carried out air raids on Sana'a. The strikes came less than 24 hours after similar attacks on the coastal Hodeida governorate in western Yemen, which resulted in the destruction of a vital factory. The Israeli response escalated after the Houthi group launched an attack on Ben Gurion Airport, in what was described as the largest offensive the airport has faced in recent times. Authorities in Sana'a reported no human casualties from the latest round of strikes. These locations had previously been targeted by airstrikes from the Saudi-led coalition, followed by American, British, and now Israeli forces.
Al Mawqea Post
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Mawqea Post
Yemen: Prime Minister Submits Resignation as Fourth Government Head in Ten Years
Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak announced on Saturday his submission of resignation to the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi. Bin Mubarak published the text of his resignation via a post on the "X" platform. This announcement follows several days of media leaks and press reports indicating an impending governmental change amidst acute disagreements within the Presidential Leadership Council. In his resignation statement, Bin Mubarak stated that he "exerted every possible effort to contribute to the battle to restore the state, defeat the Houthi coup, combat corruption, implement financial and administrative reform, and rebuild state institutions in the capital, Aden." He reported facing numerous difficulties and challenges, highlighting among the most significant "not being enabled to work according to his constitutional powers in making the necessary decisions to reform several state institutions," and "not being enabled to carry out the necessary government reshuffle." Bin Mubarak continued, "However, in a short period, we have achieved many accomplishments through the five tracks I adopted as priorities as Prime Minister, especially in the paths of financial and administrative reform, combating corruption, activating the presence of state institutions and their leadership in the capital, Aden, and maximizing the utilization of foreign grants and loans." Concluding his resignation, Bin Mubarak wrote, "In loyalty to my values and what I pledged to God in my oath, and out of my keenness for the unity of all components of the Yemeni state, to direct their efforts to a level that rises to the sacrifices, patience, and yearning for salvation of our people in this sensitive stage of our history, I hereby submit my resignation from my position as Prime Minister, placing it before you and the members of the Presidential Leadership Council, wishing whoever is appointed after me all the best of luck and success." Bin Mubarak is the fourth head of the Saudi-backed government to either resign or be dismissed from the post since the Yemeni government relocated to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, following the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen which began in March 2015. He was appointed to the position on February 5, 2024, by a decree from the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, succeeding Maeen Abdulmalik. Bin Mubarak was the first Prime Minister appointed since the formation of the Presidential Leadership Council on April 7, 2022. Bin Mubarak has been one of the most prominent figures connected to Yemen's public affairs since the youth revolution in 2011. His previous roles include heading the preparatory committee for the National Dialogue Conference, serving as Director of the Office of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, being appointed as Yemen's Ambassador to Washington, later serving as Foreign Minister, before his appointment as Prime Minister.
