Barran Press
The Saudi Project for the Clearance of Yemeni Landmines (MASAM) announced on Sunday, September 1st, 2024, that it had removed 4,413 landmines, unexploded ordnance, and improvised explosive devices throughout August from various mine-contaminated areas in Yemen.
In a statement received by "Barran Press," the project stated that its field teams removed 1,047 landmines, unexploded ordnance, and improvised explosive devices last week, bringing the total number of items removed in August to 4,413.
The statement also mentioned that the project's teams removed 973 unexploded ordnance and 54 anti-tank mines last week. Throughout August, a total of 4,018 unexploded ordnance and 299 anti-tank mines were removed.
According to operational reports from the "MASAM Project," which is affiliated with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center in Yemen, the project's teams have successfully cleared 59,201,344 square meters of Yemeni land since its inception in late June 2018.
United Nations reports indicate that the Houthi militia, designated as a terrorist group by several countries, has planted approximately two million landmines across the areas under their control. These mines have resulted in the deaths and injuries of over 20,000 civilians, the majority of whom are women and children.
While human rights reports accuse the Houthis of "transforming Yemen into the largest minefield in the world" by planting over two million landmines, human rights organizations repeatedly call on the Houthi group to provide maps of the landmines they have planted to organizations working in the field of mine clearance.