Brigadier General Antony Hayward, the United Nations (UN) Special Envoy’s Military Adviser for Yemen, has visited the headquarters of the Masam Landmine Clearance Project in Marib governorate in north-central Yemen, accompanied by a UN delegation.
During the visit, Hayward met with several project officials and, along with the accompanying delegation, received a brief presentation from Retief Horn, Project Masam’s Deputy Managing Director and Director of Operations.
Horn outlined the project’s progress in Yemen since its launch in mid-2018. He also highlighted how Project Masam’s demining teams have successfully removed 470,416 landmines, explosive devices (IEDs), and unexploded ordnance (UXO) over that period, underscoring the project’s strong commitment to enhancing security and safety at its work sites.
For his part, the military advisor to the UN envoy to Yemen emphasised Project Masam’s role, noting that it has played a vital part in protecting civilian lives and securing vast areas of Yemeni territory, despite the significant challenges posed by landmines. He stressed the importance of continuing such humanitarian landmine clearance initiatives to foster stability in Yemen and safeguard civilian lives.
