Project Masam cleared 736 explosive items during the first week of January 2026, as part of its ongoing humanitarian mine action efforts to reduce explosive threats and protect civilians across Yemen’s liberated areas, according to the latest weekly project data.
The items removed between 27 December 2025 and 2 January 2026 included four anti-personnel mines, 59 anti-tank mines, 672 items of unexploded ordnance (UXO), and one improvised explosive device (IED). These explosive hazards were found in civilian areas, including locations affected by fighting as well as areas deliberately contaminated to deny land to civilians, where explosive threats continue to restrict movement, livelihoods, and access to essential services.
Over the same reporting period, Project Masam demining teams secured 400,923 square metres of land, making it safe for civilian use. The land released during the week included villages, farmland, access routes, and areas surrounding infrastructure, reducing immediate risks for families living and working in contaminated environments.
Alongside the life-saving impact of clearance, Project Masam’s operations also contribute to systematically recording the location, type, and condition of explosive devices found in civilian areas. This field-based documentation supports a clearer understanding of contamination patterns and the continued humanitarian impact of landmines and explosive remnants of war, ensuring that risks to civilians are accurately identified and addressed.
Clearance activities during the week were carried out despite difficult terrain, security constraints, and high levels of metal contamination in some locations. Teams continued to apply methodical procedures in line with international standards to ensure areas were fully verified before being released for civilian use.
