Yemeni Minister of Legal Affairs and Human Rights Ahmed Arman has claimed that, since its launch in mid-2018, the Masam Landmine Clearance Project – Yemen has saved the lives of thousands of Yemenis by removing a significant number of mines from the country’s liberated areas.
Project Masam is a multilateral humanitarian land mine clearance project in Yemen funded and launched by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in June 2018.
In a phone call with Project Masam’s media office, Arman said that the landmine clearance project has been a vital addition to the efforts of the coalition forces supporting peace in Yemen, contributing with exceptional professionalism in demining operations, whether dealing with traditional or more advanced types of mines.
In 2024, His Excellency, President Dr. Rashad Muhammad Al-Alimi, awarded Project Masam the Order of Courage, the highest honour in the country, in recognition of its invaluable contribution to Yemen. This award acknowledged the project’s success in removing thousands of mines from areas such as Marib, the west coast, Hudaydah, Lajj, Aden, and other regions, as it continues to work across much of the Yemeni landscape.
The minister also noted that Project Masam is recognised by all echelons of society, from local residents to the Prime Minister.
“On behalf of the Yemeni government, we extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to Project Masam’s management and the personnel of the Yemeni National Mine Action Programme”, Arman said.
This comes at a time of significant challenges, particularly the reduction in funding by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which has been partly mitigated by the strong support of Project Masam in the Mine Action field.
The Minister of Human Rights stated that, since the beginning of the war in 2015, Houthi-laid mines have caused over 880 deaths and left thousands injured or disabled. For example, in Al-Bayda, more than 160 people have been killed, while in Aden, 88 have lost their lives due to mines, he claimed.
The minister explained that the impact of these mines continues to take lives even after maps have been provided. The current situation is even worse, as demining efforts are carried out without maps indicating where the mines are located. He recalled that during the 1970s and 1980s conflict in Yemen, during which time landmines were planted, the effects of these mines persisted until 2007, but the scale of the mines planted by the Houthis today is unprecedented.
The Minister also pointed out that the Houthi militias have not provided any maps showing the locations of the mines they’ve indiscriminately planted, which were designed to mark military lines for the areas they controlled. These mines prevent civilians from safely using roads and areas that should be accessible to all. As a result, the victims are not just military personnel but also farmers, elderly people, women, and children. Tragically, the Houthis have even repurposed anti-tank mines as anti-personnel devices trough the use of pressure plates, further increasing the danger to civilians.
Arman claimed that the United Nations (UN) has adopted a lenient stance toward Houthi crimes, and the policy of turning a blind eye is now having serious consequences. This approach is affecting UN staff and workers involved in humanitarian programmes with international organisations. To date, the Houthis have kidnapped 72 individuals, including eight women and 22 employees working with the UN. This situation is a direct result of the UN’s silence and weak policy toward Houthi violations, particularly in relation to mine-related crimes, Arman claimed. While the UN has tried to level accusations against various parties, the Houthis remain the sole perpetrators of these crimes, he added.
The Minister of Human Rights also alleged out that the international community, especially the UN and its resident coordinator in Yemen, continues to evade responsibility for the failings of these policies.
Arman stressed that the international community is falling behind on addressing the mine issue in Yemen. This is evident in the recent reduction of funding for the Yemeni National Mine Action Programme by the UNDP, despite the programme’s reliance on UNDP support since Yemen’s signature and ratification of the Ottawa Convention in 1997 and 1998.
While the funding was never substantial to begin with, it was divided between areas under Houthi control and the liberated regions. Yet, Arman insisted, Houthi areas are clear of mines since they tend to mine the areas they control just before leaving them or withdrawing from them. The intervention of Project Masam has been critical in compensating for the shortcomings of the Yemeni National Mine Action Programme, stepping in to fill the gap left by reduced international support.
