The leader of Project Masam’s demining Team 19 has announced his team has cleared 285 explosive remnants of war after moving its humanitarian landmine clearance operation to an area on Yemen’s southern coast of Bab al-Mandab.
Explosive remnants of war (ERW) include anything from Houthi-planted landmines, unexploded bombs or shells, to bullets and hand grenades.
Khaled Dawood, the leader of the demining team, said his team relocated to al-Aradi area in Jabal al-Mubarraza on the Red Sea, following the guidance of the project’s management team, following civilians’ reports indicating the presence of a vast quantity of unexploded ERW in the area. Local residents said they were afraid of the remnants left on the mountain flank overlooking the village, as they continue to threaten the lives of civilians living at the bottom of the massif.
Dawood explained how the rugged terrain of the region, coupled with the presence of ERW, randomly planted mines – and the lack of maps to identify the location of these landmines, or minefields – as well as the seasonal rain’s contribution to burying ERW up to half a metre deep, represents one of the dangerous challenges Team 19 faces.
Meanwhile, Dr. Muammar Saeed, head of outpatient at al-Arddi Health Clinic, expressed his concern about landmines and other ERW that have caused many injuries among children and young people, as well as damage to heavy equipment and cars, stressing the importance of removing these remnants early before they seriously harm residents and their property.
Saeed praised the role played by Project Masam’s teams in al-Aradi area to remove landmines and other ERW in populated areas, in addition to the awareness-raising campaigns carried out by the teams to educate the local population about the danger of these landmines and the necessity of reporting them.
All this significantly contributes to reducing the damage caused by ERW and raising the community awareness regarding these deadly devices.
