Project Masam has delivered a training course in Yemen’s central Marib Governorate for United Nations staff, focusing on the dangers of landmines and unexploded ordnance they might encounter during their field operations.
Years of conflict have left the strategic city of Marib and the surrounding region littered with unexploded ordnance, as well as tens of thousands of landmines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) manufactured and planted extensively and indiscriminately by Houthi militias.
In a statement, Retief Horn, the Deputy Managing Director of the project, confirmed that the course is designed to familiarise participants with the various types of mines and dangerous ordnance present in Yemen. This includes anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, unexploded ordnance, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The course specifically emphasised on preventive measures to avoid dangerous situations, and provided guidance on how to respond if encountering suspicious areas or minefields.
During the course, awareness brochures and educational materials were distributed to the 21 participants, equipping them to offer proper guidance to the local population on avoiding potential mine hazards in their villages and surrounding areas.
The course is part of a strategic cooperation between the UN and Project Masam in liberated areas in Yemen.
