Like many children and teenagers in Yemen, Saeed Hassan was the main shepherd for grazing animals in his family – one of the riskiest activities for civilians living in contaminated areas where the risk is unknown. He recalls is story: Four friends herding their sheep. An explosion. Death and trauma. Pain and a life changed…
When we first met Saliha Abdah outside her simple house made of concrete blocks, she avoided our gaze. Her three young children huddled around her; she slowly started telling her story. “We were displaced when the war started; the Houthis entered our region and planted landmines. I went to the mountain to collect wood. Suddenly,…
Like millions of Yemenis, Marwan Youssef Taleb and his family fled fighting in their home village. “We were displaced. When we left our home, we were surprised by a Houthi mine. My family was killed. My sister and my friend Moukhtar Ghaleb were also killed.” Gravely injured, Marwan was hospitalised in Aden, where both his…
In Yemen, where family farming makes up for the majority of food production, landmines and other explosive devices are hampering access to farms. Tayyar Sulayman Omar Abdallah was on his way to work when a landmine detonated. “I left my home to go to the farm. A mine exploded under my car. My left and…
Like many farmers living in the resource-rich eastern Shabwah governorate, Abdullah Abdul Qadir was left fearing a landmine might end his life and that of his livestock. In 2015, the region and its Bayhan Directorate became a battleground between the Houthis and Pro-Yemeni government forces. As they retreated, the Houthis left behind landmines, unexploded ordnance and…
Naji Nasser was shepherding and dreaming of being successful in school when a landmine exploded, changing his life and that of his cousin, forever. Watch Naji’s story here. By clearing landmines, unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices scattered by Al Houthi militia, Project Masam is helping pave the way to Yemenis’ future recovery. Since mid-2018, Project…
A man of few words, Tawfiq Mohammad Abdallah Jalajel asked Project Masam to share his story – one sadly lived by many Yemenis survivors of landmine explosions. “I entered my home and at the door, there was an explosion, and lost consciousness. They planted mines everywhere,” Tawfiq said, as he condemned the Houthi militias’ use…
As the number of landmines and other explosive devices cleared by Project Masam’s teams since mid-2018 nears a quarter of a million, Project Masam caught up with Engineer Abdullah Jaribi to learn more about his role and his motivations. Abdullah, 35, started working in the field of mine action in 2015. Today, he leads Project…
Idriss Omar Saleh Mohammed, a cheerful young boy, whose hand and feet were amputated is an inspiration to those who cross his path. He was only small when a landmine exploded under him, as he was near his home. Whilst he survived the blast, he was sent to hospital in a critical situation. His right…
Mohamed Mahmoud Nasser Akish and his wife Aisha Ismail Ali Muhaim wished to share their story. “I was living in Al-Dinnin (Ta’iz province) when they forced us to flee,” Mohammed said. “During our displacement, we rode a three-wheeled motorcycle. I had eight children with me. They detonated us with a mine. Some flew over the…
