Yemen faces dire landmine crisis: Project Masam reports significant removal efforts

YEMEN is grappling with a severe issue of landmines, with staggering numbers being removed indicating the depth of the humanitarian crisis in the country.

Ousama Algosaibi, Managing Director for Landmine Clearance at Project Masam, an initiative supported by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, highlighted the gravity of the situation, stating that the scale of landmine removal surpasses any other region globally. This underscores the immense humanitarian challenge facing Yemen.

Since its inception in June 2018, Project Masam's demining teams have successfully cleared 433,330 landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) across the nation. This includes both Anti-Personnel Mines and Anti-Tank Mines.

However, the exact total of mines removed remains unknown, as multiple organizations are involved in similar initiatives, and their statistics are not consistently published.

Moreover, Algosaibi voiced apprehension about the continuous planting of mines in areas yet to be liberated.

Algosaibi emphasized the urgency of the situation, expressing concerns about the ongoing race against time in Yemen. "We are in a race in Yemen. As we are clearing mines, new mines are being planted by the Houthi militia. We know the planting of new mines is ongoing. As for the final number of mines, we’d never know until the day Yemen is free of all mines," he stated.

The Saudi Arabian government launched Project Masam in October 2017 as part of its broader efforts to assist the people of war-torn Yemen. To date, the Kingdom has allocated approximately USD 200 million for this endeavor, drawing on the expertise of both local Yemenis and foreign specialists.

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