As Houthi militias in Yemen ramp up their offensive in the west and northwest of the Marib Governorate, Project Masam is reiterating a warning about a landmine contamination emergency in the area.
Marib is now home to more than a million Yemenis have sought refuge from the Houthis and violence since the beginning of the conflict in late 2014. Some 20,000 have been recently displaced in Marib and shifting warlines are threatening the safety of millions, according a May 6, 2021, statement from the Spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric.
“The downfall of what is going on is that we’re going to have more displaced people that have moved in and around Marib and I guarantee you that once the Houthis withdraw from there, we’re going to be finding a lot of mines and IEDs in the areas they have been in. Every single day, al-Houthi is on the ground on a front laying mines and IEDs,” said Project Masam Managing Director and Programme Manager, Ousama Algosaibi.
“In Al Jawf we have cleared an idea that had already been cleared twice before because of the moving of the fronts backwards and forwards. If al-Houthi advances before he withdraws, he plants mines and we have to clear it again. So we have cleared areas for the third time now and it will probably be the same in Marib now.”
Over four million have already been displaced in Yemen. Even after the frontlines have moved, these displaced people cannot return home, as their land, grazing fields, roads, houses and schools have been contaminated by landmines and other explosive devices.
“Using IEDs and landmines whenever you are in a situation like this means that you are terrorising the locals, you are trying to control the villages and the people inside those villages. You’re making a very deadly point. You are the master of that area and you make sure that nobody leaves or returns to that village; and if they do leave or return to that village, they are going to die.”
Only once the villages have been cleared liberated and cleared can displaced people return.
“That’s our role: we have been helping displaced people go back to the villages in liberated areas after they have been cleared from mines and IEDs. That helps and will help with the refugee issue, and help with the issue of displaced people inside Yemen.”
Since the programme was launched in July 2018, Saudi-funded Project Masam has cleared 246.866 explosive devices including anti-personnel mines, anti-tank mines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and unexploded ordnance (UXO).
