As Project Masam’s teams continue to make their contribution to Yemen by carrying out difficult and complex humanitarian landmine clearance work for the sixth year in a row, hundreds, if not thousands, of people are enjoying a newly found safety.
Most of the success stories that we are hearing are embodied in the return of normal life for many civilians in either residential areas or agricultural lands, which had been left vacant and isolated for extended periods due to the suspected or confirmed existence of landmines.
Regaining access to water
In the Al-Falah area of Usaylan district in Shabwah province in south-central Yemen, which was liberated from the Houthis at the beginning of 2022, Hadji Hussein Ibn Ahmed highlighted how Project Masam’s clearance work has had a huge impact on civilians of the region.
Hadji Hussein said that his district, inhabited by “dozens of families,” was suffering from a shortage of water for long periods, and when these people decided to dig water wells, they faced the obstacle of mines which prevented the owners of the excavators from entering the area for fear of explosions.
Hadji Hussein added that assistance was requested from Project Masam teams to secure the area, and they immediately responded.
After a short period of time, the demining team managed to secure the area and unload the rig, and the project was successfully implemented.
Thanks to these efforts, local families have regained access to the water which they had previously struggled to retrieve, he added.
Restoring life in Yemen
Hadji Hussein said: “We must pay tribute to the efforts exerted by Project Masam, which is still continuing its work for the sixth year in a row… It is not just an effort to remove mines, but rather an effort that contributes to restoring life to areas that were deserted and besieged by mines.”
The elder pointed out that the efforts exerted by Project Masam to remove mines in the liberated Yemeni areas, are inspiring and necessary for the affected population, adding that these efforts contribute to normalise life and remove some of the psychological impact the presence of landmines has on civilians.
Hadji Hussein pointed out that despite the great challenges which Project Masam teams face – explosions, security and deliberate targeting threats, terrain, harsh weather, etc… -, they receive wide support from the beneficiary populations, who feel the impact of these efforts on their daily lives, and believe that access to liberated areas enhances hope and restores confidence in reaching a mine-free future.
