Project Masam’s Team 9 has announced the successful clearance and removal of 57 banned anti-personnel landmines in the As-Safra area of Usaylan district in Shabwah governorate over the course of four months.
This milestone illustrates the team’s efforts and commitment to ensuring the safety of villagers and shepherds, and maintaining the security of the region – one of the most landmine-contaminated in Yemen.
Anti-personnel mines, which are banned, are among the most dangerous types of unconventional weapons used in armed conflicts, as they pose a direct threat to the lives of unarmed civilians, as they can cause indiscriminate and unexpected injuries and deaths. In addition, civilians suffer significant losses of limbs as well as inflicted disabilities, affecting their lives as well as their mental and physical health.
Landmines are among the main causes of the forced displacement of civilians, who have been forced to abandon their homes and belongings to move to safety. The displaced suffer from shortages of basic necessities such as water, food, and medicine, and live in unsanitary and unsafe conditions, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Through its coordinated Mine Risk Education activities, Team 9 seeks to educate civilians about the danger of landmines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and unexploded ordnance (UXO) including the different types, sizes and appearances, as well as how to deal with them with the use of safety procedures.
Thanks to the deminers’ intensive efforts, tangible results have been achieved and a clear improvement in security and safety in the region has been reported, according to the Yemen Executive Mine Action Centre (YEMAC).
