Project Masam has located and destroyed 4,761 landmines and unexploded ordnance in one week in Bab al-Mandab on Yemen’s western coast.
Since Yemen’s civil was began in 2014, Houthi militias have planted land and seamines across Yemen. Coastal communities in Yemen are direct victims of these explosive items.
On 29 December 2021 and on 06 January 2022, Masam’s Assistant Managing Director Qasim Al-Dossary oversaw the bulk demolition of 2,334 and 2,427 explosive items (photos below), respectively.
This included anti-tank mines, anti-personnel mines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), live ammunition and 23-caliber bullets, Al-Dossary said.
“What was destroyed today [06 January 2022] is the result of what was collected by Masam teams in the West Coast, especially in Hays Directorate and its villages. This highly affected city that was newly liberated is terrifyingly affected by the mines that were planted in civilian sites including minefields inside schools, roads and farms,” Al-Dossary added.
Bab al-Mandab, located in Taiz Governorate, is a vital area for civilians – boats transport fishermen’s catch, foodstuffs and animal feed. By preventing access to trade, landmines and seamines are preventing access to civilians’ lifelines and livelihoods.
By clearing coastal areas and areas of immediate humanitarian priority, Project Masam is preventing future tragedies and allowing for the safe movement of civilians and humanitarian goods and services, effectively creating resilience within communities affected by the threat of land and sea mines.
Read more about Project Masam’s demolition process here.
