Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
The Saudi MASAM project announced on Monday that it has identified and destroyed 470,416 explosive devices in liberated areas within Yemen.
In a report, the project stated that these mines include 6,677 anti-personnel mines, 145,631 anti-tank mines, 309,947 unexploded ordnance, and 8,161 improvised explosive devices, which have been cleared from an area of 62,112,356 square meters since mid-2018.
Since the escalation of the conflict between forces loyal to the Yemeni government and Houthi group in 2014, liberated strategic areas have become littered with Houthi anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, as well as unexploded remnants of war.
The report added: “In the past week alone (November 16-22, 2024), MASAM’s demining team was able to remove 840 deadly mines, including 29 anti-personnel mines, 129 anti-tank mines, and 862 unexploded ordnance, according to the project’s general manager, Osama al-Qusaybi. The teams also cleared 249,614 square meters during the same period.”
Estimates indicate that up to five million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict in Yemen – many of whom have been displaced due to the presence of landmines on their land.
The mission of MASAM teams is to clear areas of immediate humanitarian priority: villages, roads, schools, etc. … in order to facilitate the safe movement of civilians, goods, and humanitarian services.
