Project Masam has announced that its demining teams have now located and destroyed 517,818 explosive devices in Yemen’s liberated areas since the project began in mid-2018.
Since the conflict escalated in 2014 between Yemen’s pro-government forces and Houthi militias, vast areas of the country have been heavily contaminated with mines, UXO, and other remnants of war. Strategic regions remain severely affected, with estimates suggesting that the Houthis have planted between one and two million mines nationwide.
This week’s cumulative total includes 6,911 anti-personnel mines, 147,447 anti-tank mines, 355,182 items of unexploded ordnance (UXO), and 8,278 improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Over this period, clearance operations have made more than 71,164,694 square metres of land safe for civilian use.
During the most recent reporting week, spanning 27 September to 3 October 2025, Masam teams removed 1,319 explosive devices, including 26 anti-personnel mines, 65 anti-tank mines, 1,227 UXO, and one IED. In the same period, clearance operations covered 252,556 square metres of land.
These results bring the project’s monthly total to 5,495 explosive devices and 1,421,678 square metres cleared so far in September, reflecting Masam’s sustained efforts to protect civilians and support Yemen’s recovery through comprehensive mine clearance operations.
Project Masam continues to prioritise its humanitarian mission of clearing mines in civilian areas, including villages, roads, schools, and key infrastructure, to allow safer movement for families and aid workers.
It is estimated that up to five million Yemenis have been displaced since the start of the war, many forced from their homes by the widespread presence of landmines and explosive remnants of war. Seasonal sand and dust storms in recent weeks have added to the danger, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of accidental encounters with mines, particularly in areas where clearance is still underway.
For regular updates on Project Masam’s life-saving operations and expert insights into humanitarian mine action, follow the project on Twitter and LinkedIn.
