Project Masam has reached a significant milestone after clearing its 5,000th anti-personnel landmine in Yemen.
Operating since mid-2018, Masam currently has 32 teams working in liberated areas across the country and conducts humanitarian clearance in accordance with priorities set by the Yemeni National Authority.
On 20 May 2022, Managing Director and Programme Manager Ousama Algosaibi announced the teams had cleared a total of 5,060 anti-personnel landmines.
The use of anti-personnel landmines is prohibited under the 1997 Mine Ban Convention, to which 164 countries are party. In 1997, the Yemeni government signed the Mine Ban Treaty which outlaws the production, stockpiling, export, and indiscriminate use of anti-personnel mines.
“This is a huge milestone for Masam and for Yemenis affected or displaced by the presence of inhumane anti-personnel landmines. While this is cause for celebration, this achievement is also a stark reminder of the scale of contamination across the country,” Algosaibi said.
“Upon reaching such a landmark, it is crucial we reflect on how we can continue to support Yemenis going forward.”
By clearing 5,060 anti-personnel mines, 126,453 anti-tank mines, 200,558 unexploded ordnance (UXO) and 7,360 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), Masam has allowed civilians to return to their homes and lands, and resume their lives after spending years forcibly displaced.
The news came a few months after Masam reached another significant milestone, having cleared 100,000 anti-tank landmines in Yemen since the start of the project in mid-2018.
