Yemen has one of the world's highest rates of contamination with landmines and other deadly explosives, the International Committee of the Red Cross has said. "When it comes to weapon contamination, with Afghanistan and Iraq, Yemen is among the three countries most affected by this," Fabrizio Carboni, the ICRC's Near and Middle East regional director, told the media. According to Carboni, the contamination is widespread, and decontaminating everything is hard even if the conflict ends now. Experts estimate that at least one million mines have been planted since the war started in Yemen in 2015.
Mahdi Al-Mashat, the Head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, said Sunday that the group's missile force can target all member states of the Saudi-led coalition involved in the Yemen war. Speaking during a meeting with local officials in Hodeida, Al-Mashat indicated that the missiles they have enable them to strike any target in any city of those countries that engaged in the fighting in Yemen. He said the military achievements the Houthi group has made are a source of pride and honor. Houthis took over Sanaa in 2014 and expanded their military presence in many northern provinces in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia has expressed support for all efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution to end the ongoing conflict in Yemen. The Saudi Minister of Defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, conducted a call with the Yemeni Presidential Council Chairman, Rashad al-Alimi, conveying greetings and wishes for security and stability in Yemen, discussing bilateral relations and the latest developments in Yemen. The Saudi minister emphasized the Kingdom's support for all efforts to achieve a political solution ensuring security and stability for Yemen and its people. In 2015, Saudi Arabia began a military intervention in support of the Yemeni government.
6,273 Somali refugees have voluntarily returned to their homeland from Yemen since 2017, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said on Sunday. In their latest trip, a boat carrying 150 Somali refugees left Aden port in southern Yemen on Saturday and arrived at the port of Berbera in Somalia on Sunday. Despite Yemen's civil conflict since 2015, African migrants keep flocking to Yemen's coastal cities. They intend to cross to Saudi Arabia to land better jobs.
Saudi Arabia and India have signed 50 cooperative agreements in the fields of economy, banking, technology, energy, and military and cultural sectors, worth $3.5 billion. The agreements were signed during a visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to India. The agreements were signed in the presence of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Saudi Crown Prince is currently on a state visit to India after the G20 Summit concluded on Sunday.
