Barran Press
On Sunday, October 6, 2024, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center's “Masam” project announced the removal of over 1,500 explosive materials from war remnants in Yemen during the past week.
In a press release shared with "Barran Press," the project’s operations room reported that demining teams successfully cleared a total of 1,579 landmines, unexploded ordnance, and improvised explosive devices between September 28 and October 4, 2024.
The statement detailed that the removals included 1,442 unexploded munitions, 126 anti-tank mines, 6 improvised explosive devices, and 5 anti-personnel mines, while also clearing an area of 240,575 square meters during the same period.
Osama Al-Qusaybi, the project director, noted that since the project began operations in Yemen in June 2018, demining teams have successfully removed and destroyed 463,673 explosive materials, including 305,185 unexploded munitions, 145,306 anti-tank mines, 8,155 improvised explosive devices, and 6,606 anti-personnel mines.
Al-Qusaybi added that the total area cleared of explosive materials during this period exceeds 60,508,926 square meters in areas under internationally recognized government control.
UN reports indicate that approximately two million mines have been planted by the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization, in various regions under their control, resulting in the deaths and injuries of over 20,000 civilians, the majority of whom are women and children. rights reports accuse the Houthis of “turning Yemen into the largest minefield ever” after planting more than two million mines. Human rights organizations have repeatedly called on the Houthi group to provide maps of the landmines they have planted to aid demining efforts.