As Project Masam nears the end of its sixth year operating in Yemen, we take a look back at its recent achievements and awards.
Launched in mid-June 2018 in Yemen liberated areas, Project Masam’s 32 demining teams have so far cleared 444,858 deadly items, including 6,530 anti-personnel landmines, 144,439 anti-tank landmines, 285,841 unexploded ordnance (UXO) and 8,048 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), effectively clearing a total of 56,881,560 square metres.
Daily achievements by the demining teams, which operate in eleven regions, have contributed to shaping the success of Project Masam over the course of six years of humanitarian landmine clearance work in Yemen.
Efforts have received widespread praise, as the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Yemen, Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, honoured Project Masam, represented by its managing director Ousama Algosaibi, and the Yemen Executive Mine Action Center (YEMAC), represented by its director general, Brigadier General General Amin Al-Aqili by awarding them Medal of Bravery.
On 26 June 2023, the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council issued two decisions granting Project Masam and YEMAC, the Medal of Bravery, in view of their role in clearing Yemenin lands of mines, IEDs and UXO. The honour was also a commemoration of their staff who were injured or killed carrying out their duties to save lives and future generations.
Project Masam welcomed the awards, and thanked its supporters and funders, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for their dedication to ensuring life can return to normal across liberated areas of Yemen.
The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jassem Al-Budaiwi, meanwhile, praised the efforts of all staff – Yemeni and international – working for the project, who he claimed worked together to secure tens of thousands of square metres while clearing thousands of mines and explosive devices.
During the event, Al-Budaiwi expressed his deep regret for the victims of landmines, IEDs and other explosive items – including children and women.
On the occasion of the re-operating of Aden Hospital and the one-year anniversary of its resumption of activity via a funding from the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY), the Yemeni Minister of Health, Dr. Qasim Bahibah, praised the efforts made by Project Masam’s demining teams, expressing his thanks for the project’s management and humanitarian landmine clearance work accomplished so far since 2018.
The Faculty of Sharia and Law of the University of Saba Region in the eastern Yemeni governorate of Marib Governorate also honoured Project Masam with the Shield of Loyalty in appreciation of the role it plays in saving the lives of Yemenis from landmines.
During the event, lawyer Issam Khamis and members of the preparatory committee for the batch of law ambassadors praised the deminers’ efforts over six years, stressing that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s continued support for Project Masam indicates the respect and friendship existing between the neighbouring countries.
On the international level, Project Masam was honoured by the European Organisation of Islamic Centres with the Shield of Humanity and Peace, in appreciation of its humanitarian efforts during six years of work in Yemen.
