Civilians in Yemen are continuing to report explosive ordnance and hand over large quantities of explosive items to demining teams, highlighting the success of Masam’s awareness initiatives in raising community awareness and improving public safety.
This cooperation also reflects the growing awareness among the population of the dangers posed by remnants of war and their negative impact on their lives.
According to local reports, verified by Project Masam, civilians living in embattled zones, such as Yemen’s vital Red Sea coast or border gateways to the south, hoarding landmines and other remnants of war started to do so after the Houthi withdrew from villages and cities, beaches and mountainous areas in 2017.
Now, Retief Horn, Deputy Managing Director of the Masam Landmine Clearance Project-Yemen, said that Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) efforts are focused on raising awareness among civilians in Yemen about the dangers of unexploded ordnance (UXO).
Thousands of civilians reached
These initiatives aim to educate communities on the risks posed by explosive remnants of war (ERW), including landmines, UXO, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Horn emphasised that the local population in mine-contaminated areas has become a vital source of information on the locations of these remnants of war, as they actively assist in handing them over upon recognising the dangers they pose to their safety.
The deputy managing director explained that the intensive awareness programs conducted by Project Masam’s demining teams over the past period have benefited more than 8,000 civilians across several Yemeni governorates. He noted that these campaigns reached a total of 8,368 individuals from various age groups, including 3,536 men, 1,194 women, 3,645 boys, and 1,792 girls.
He added that these campaigns included awareness lectures, as well as the distribution of brochures and educational materials, all aimed at educating citizens about the dangers of mines and how to avoid them.
Awareness campaigns results
These campaigns are paying off. Horn mentioned that between 2023 and 2024, demining teams recovered approximately 773 mines and UXO that had been stored by civilians.
This was a direct result of their adherence to the directives received through awareness campaigns, which reached seven Yemeni governorates: Taiz, Hudaydah, Aden, Lahj, Al-Dhale, Marib, and Shabwah.
The project’s deputy managing director concluded by emphasising that EORE programmes are continuing and expanding to reach more areas and individuals. He stressed that the continuation of these efforts is crucial to saving lives and reducing injuries, especially given the significant challenges Yemen faces in this regard.
