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Yemen has gone through civil wars, wars against foreign powers and bloody events throughout its history, but the Houthi coup was the worst and most brutal of all of them. Hunger, diseases, poverty and sectarian conflicts are not the only catastrophes that devour Yemen, the deadly weapons and most of all landmines are also inflicting more pain on Yemenis as they besiege them from everywhere.
The main victims of this deadly danger that lurks underground are only civilians. They were either killed or mutulated with scars that will stay with them forever.
The Houthi militias showed their true ugly nature after they insisted on planting explosive devices at random, in huge numbers and continuously in civilian areas. They mined the grasslands where Bedouin people go to herd their camels during the rainy season, planted landmines in homes, roads, water wells and hospitals. Even the desert wasn’t spared from their tyranny as they turned it into minefields, such as the field whic extends from the region of Arg Abu Daer to Al Hadab region in Khab Wa Shaf directorate, and which the size is estimated to be more than 37 square kilometers. The Houthis planted a mine in each square meter of it.
The Houthis’ terror expanded from land to sea, as fishermen in the western coast were seriously injured and some lost their limbs due to the naval mines which the Houthis threw into the coasts of the Red Sea. This barbaric act deprived hundreds of fishermen of their only source of living: fishing, in addition to killing dozens of them. This tragedy ended the fishing industry in the region. The sea, which was their source of living became the source of their death and suffering. Project Masam, believing strongly in protecting lives and preserving human dignity, is trying to rid these afflicted regions of this pandemic that befall upon them and to protect civilians. Its clearing teams succeeded so far in clearing more than 180 thousand landmines, unexploded ordnance and explosive devices since the launch of project Masam.
Team 30 Masam (specialized in collection) carried out also an operation to destroy and demolish 731 landmines, unexploded ordnance and explosive devices in Bab Al Mandab directorate. This operation is the project’s 79th in the western coast of Yemen.
It is a war that Masam is waging against the time and landmines, ignoring all the dangers and difficulties it faces. Masam’s staff paid a heavy price for this noble humanitarian mission with their souls and bodies. That didn’t break their will and couldn’t stop them from continuing the clearance of the deadly devices that hide all over Yemen, through its clearing teams deployed in 8 liberated Yemeni provinces.
The crimes and transgressions of the coup militias multiply every day due to the terrible silence of the international community, but Yemenis are awaiting for deliverance from the tyranny of these criminal militias. Yemenis found in project Masam what they have been yearning for, considering it their hope to get rid of a hidden enemy that attacks them without a warning.