The Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) and Head of the United Nations Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) has visited Project Masam’s headquarters in Aden to discuss the landmine situation in Yemen.
Project Masam’s deputy managing director Qassim Al-Dosarry and the director of operations in Aden and the Western Coast, Zauba Alrawi, welcomed Major General Michael Beary on March 11.
During the visit, Project Masam’s experts relaid the project’s efforts to secure liberated areas from mines, explosive devices, and other remnants of war.
As part of the meeting, Masam experts briefed Beary, who is an ex-Defence Forces officer, about the size and type of landmines discovered and cleared, and share their view on the seriousness of the situation in Yemen due to the continuation of landmine planting as well as the evolving nature of the Houthi militias’ manufacture of landmines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Masam’s experts also highlighted the danger of Houthis’ modified landmines – by which process anti-tank mines are transformed into anti-personnel landmines – as well as the booby-trapping of educational and health facilities, water sources, civilian farms and roads.
Meanwhile, Beary said that mines and explosive devices have caused real disasters in Yemen, and still constitute a threat to the present and future of the western asian country, adding that Project Masam’s work in Yemen is saving thousands of lives.
During the meeting, Brigadier General Qa’ed Haitham, the head of the Yemen Executive Mine Action Center (YEMAC)’s Aden’s branch told Beary that civilians in Yemen continue to suffer from the preesnce of landmines in every region, and face difficulties in moving around and living safely.
Haitham indicated that the partnership between YEMAC and Project Masam has contributed to reducing the danger and the impact of landmines on civilians.
Beary is working on disarmament and peacekeeping as part of the UN response to the Yemeni Civil War.
