Masam has concluded a training and refreshers course for 11 demining engineers at the project’s headquarters in Aden, Yemen’s temporary capital.
Due to changes in landmine warfare, Masam has created special training modules to mitigate these emerging threats — particularly for teams operating in the most-at-risk areas.
Deminers are trained both in the use of the best equipment available and in current procedures to deal with explosive devices and ordnance in accordance to the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS), the standards in force for all mine action operations.
During the ceremony to celebrate the successful completion of the training, the director of Masam’s operations in Aden Dr Zawba’ Al Rawi praised the level of discipline of the trainees after the successful completion of their specialised training course.
Al-Rawi said that Masam’s experts’ report commended the trainees’ understanding for all the theoretical lessons and field applications they received during this course.
The director of operations pointed out that the great level of those passing the course means Masam managers took the decision to enroll them with their fellow engineers in the field, to engage in humanitarian landmine clearance work and save Yemeni lives.
Brigadier General Qaid Haitham Halboub, Director of the Executive Office for Mine Action in Aden, confirmed that those who successfully completed the training course would join the national demining programme after undergoing the intensive month-long training programme delivered by Masam experts.
Halboub urged the new recruits to abide by the international standards of safety, adding that the safety of deminers is a top priority for the Yemeni National Programme, and for Masam.
A new recruit, Engineer Muhammad Ali, gave a speech during the ceremony, saying: “We thank Project Masam because it gave us the opportunity to work in this important humanitarian field with all the experts, who shared their experience and helped us pass this training course that enabled us to deal with all types of mines, IEDs and UXOs”.
