As part of his goal to improve the nature of the work of Project Masam’s demining teams in Yemen, Ousama Algosaibi, the project’s Managing Director, carried out an inspection visit to observe the progress of the field teams in Aden and across Yemen’s West Coast.
Algosaibi was welcomed by the project’s Deputy Managing Director Gus Martinez, the project’s Assistant Managing Director Qassim Al-Dosari, in addition to the Director of the Yemen Executive Mine Action Centre (YEMAC) in Aden, Brigadier General Qaid Haitham Halboub.
During the visit, Algosaibi met with the project’s experts and discussed with them the latest field developments of the project’s teams in the Aden and West Coast Sector, as well as future plans and continuous development and training work that will be implemented in the coming months in every region where Project Masam teams are deployed.
During his visit, the Managing Director also met with the Director of the National Mine Action Program, Brigadier General Amin Al-Aqili, as well as Brigadier General Qaid Haitham Halboub, to discuss how best to further strengthen cooperation between Project Masam and YEMAC to raise the level of local Yemeni mine action workers in the future.
In this context, Algosaibi expressed his appreciation for the efforts carried out by all deminers and staff, noting that the efforts made over the past five years have contributed to saving thousands of innocent civilians from the danger of mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDS), and enabled them to live safely in their homes which they had once been forced to leave because of the threat of landmines.
During his visit, Algosaibi also met with the humanitarian ambassador of the International Wars and Disasters Victims’ Protection Associations (IRVD), Jordanian TV presenter Sounia Al-Zeghoul.
Assistant Managing Director Al-Dosari, and Mr. Abdullah Al-Shahrani, Project Masam’s Communications Coordinator, also attended the meeting.
During the discussion, Algosaibi stressed the project’s determination to move forward with its humanitarian landmine clearance mission in Yemen, as well as its willingness to deal with the issue of mines in Yemen, overcoming all challenges, highlighting the fact that Project Masam is a life-saving project and that its mission in Yemen is vital to ensure the country can rebuild, develop and re-develop.
During this visit, the IRVD, who works in Yemen, lauded Project Masam’s humanitarian efforts and its success in clearing indiscriminately planted Houthi landmines.
The IRVD sought to cooperate with Project Masam in order to benefit from the experience of this successful landmine clearance project in Yemen.
During the visit, Algosaibi met with the director of the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) project in Aden, Tony Wyles, where they discussed the nature of the work of this project, its endeavours to contribute to the development of Yemen, and ways of cooperation between Project Masam and the NPA.
During this visit, Algosaibi also met with Jack Lister, Project Manager of the Halo Trust, where they discussed the best ways of cooperating and benefiting from the expertise of Project Masam.
These meetings focused on consolidating the continued friendship and cooperation between Project Masam and other stakeholders.
On the other hand, Algosaibi chaired a meeting of Project Masam’s senior staff and experts, who discussed a number of technical and logistical issues related to the work of Project Masam’s teams in addition to the need to constantly upskill the team leaders and developing work at the operational level through the help of specialized teams that can support the current teams.
According to Project Masam’s Media Center, the project cleared 3,360 mines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and IEDs in September 2023.
During the same month, the project cleared 2,946 UXO and 373 anti-tank mines, while the total area cleared during the same month reached 816,077 square metres of Yemeni territory.
The total number of explosives cleared since the launch of the project at the end of June 2018 stands at 417,103 landmines, UXO, and IEDs across various Yemeni governorates, with the total cleared area reaching 50,132,331 square metres so far.
