Demining teams from the Masam Landmine Clearance Project – Yemen have brought new hope to farmers in the Usaylan district of Shabwah Governorate, where mines planted by Houthi militias had turned fertile agricultural lands into deadly fields for years.
Shabwah, like many of Yemen’s liberated governorates, has faced extensive landmine contamination due to shifting front lines and the deliberate targeting of farmland, roads, and vital water sources, effectively devastating local livelihoods and displacing entire communities.
According to a report from Project Masam’s Media Office, demining teams operating across the region have secured extensive areas of roads, farms, and water wells, paving the way for hundreds of families to return to their villages and revive agricultural activity.
Farmer Ahmed Khamis, from the Al-Hajar area of Usaylan, said that Project Masam’s teams had removed around 100 mines from his farm and nearby water wells. “Today we are growing onions, grains, and barley… and everything is going well,” he said.
Khamis added that Project Masam’s efforts have saved farmers from the threat of death and encouraged displaced residents to “return to their lands, now that they have become safe”.
