Project Masam has announced it has located and destroyed 387,551 explosive devices in Yemeni liberated areas.
These include 6,055 anti-personnel mines, 136,584 anti-tank mines, 7,727 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and 237,185 unexploded ordnance (UXO) neutralised over 44,357,070sqm of land since mid-2018.
Since the conflict between Yemen’s pro-government forces and Houthi militias escalated in 2014, liberated strategic areas have been left littered with Houthi anti-personnel mines and anti-tank mines, along with unexploded remnants of war.
Last week (11 February – 17 February 2023) alone, Project Masam deminers removed 1,269 deadly items, including four anti-personnel mines, 161 anti-tank mines and 1,104 UXO, effectively clearing 234,148sqm of land, which has now been returned to civilians, according to Project Masam Managing Director Ousama Algosaibi.
Up to five million people are estimated to have been forced to flee their homes since the beginning of the conflict in Yemen – many of them displaced by the presence of landmines on their land.
Masam teams are tasked to clear areas of immediate humanitarian priority: villages, roads, schools, etc… in order to facilitate the safe movement of civilians and humanitarian goods and services.
For insights into our humanitarian mine clearance work, project updates and to hear from our demining experts, follows on Twitter and LinkedIn.
