Masam Clears 1,263 Mines in a Week, Including in Yemen’s Midi District

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Masam demining teams in Yemen have cleared 1,263 mines and unexploded ordnance in the space of a single week, the Saudi-run project has reported, in the latest sign of the vast scale of the country’s contamination. The figure, recorded during the first week of March, reflects the continuing effort to reduce the dangers posed by the remnants of war across several regions of Yemen.

According to a statement from the project’s operations room, the teams cleared 1,227 pieces of unexploded ordnance, along with 33 anti-tank mines and 3 anti-personnel mines. In addition, the project’s special task teams cleared roughly 8,200 square metres of land, contributing to the safety of areas affected by the presence of explosive hazards.

The statement also noted that, since the commencement of operations in the Midi District, Masam teams had removed a total of 8,253 mines, unexploded ordnance and explosive devices. This work forms part of a broader initiative aimed at eliminating the threats posed to civilian populations by the explosive legacy of the conflict.

The predominance of unexploded ordnance among the items cleared, accounting for the large majority of the total, reflects a particular dimension of Yemen’s contamination. Unexploded ordnance, comprising munitions that failed to detonate as intended, poses a persistent and unpredictable danger, and its clearance is an essential part of making affected areas safe for civilians.

The Midi District, referenced in the statement, lies in a coastal area of northwestern Yemen that has been heavily affected by the conflict. Frontline areas such as this have often experienced intense contamination, and the substantial total cleared there since operations began reflects the scale of the challenge in regions that have seen significant fighting.

Anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, though fewer in number in this week’s tally, represent especially dangerous categories of ordnance. Anti-personnel mines are designed to kill or maim people and pose a grave threat to civilians, while anti-tank mines can destroy vehicles, endangering those who travel the roads and tracks on which communities depend.

The clearance of land, measured in this instance at around 8,200 square metres, is a central measure of demining progress. Returning contaminated land to safe use is essential to enabling communities to farm, build, travel and resettle, and the systematic clearance of areas is a painstaking but vital component of the work.

The Masam project, operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, has been among the most active demining initiatives in Yemen. Through its teams operating across the country, it has cleared large quantities of mines and explosive devices, contributing to the broader effort to protect civilians from the dangers of contamination.

Demining is demanding and hazardous work, requiring specialised training, equipment and meticulous care. The teams that carry it out operate in dangerous conditions, methodically locating and neutralising devices while safeguarding their own lives, and their efforts are essential to reducing the threat that ordnance poses to the population.

Yemen is regarded as one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, a consequence of years of conflict during which vast quantities of mines and explosive remnants of war have been laid or left behind. The clearance of such contamination is a long-term undertaking, and weekly totals such as this one reflect steady progress against an enormous challenge.

The threat posed by mines extends well beyond the immediate danger to life and limb. Contaminated land cannot be safely used, obstructing agriculture, travel, construction and the return of displaced families. The clearance of ordnance is therefore a prerequisite not only for safety but for the recovery and normal functioning of affected communities.

The human toll of landmines in Yemen has been severe, with mines and explosive remnants of war having killed and injured many civilians, including children, women and the elderly. Each device cleared represents a potential tragedy averted, and the ongoing work of demining is measured ultimately in the lives protected and the communities made safer.

The reporting of detailed figures reflects an emphasis on transparency and accountability in the delivery of demining work. Such data help demonstrate the impact of operations, inform planning and support the case for continued funding, contributing to the effective management of an effort that must be sustained over the long term.

The scale of contamination means that demining will remain a critical task in Yemen for years to come. Even as teams clear thousands of devices, vast quantities are believed to remain, and events such as flooding can redistribute the danger, underscoring the enduring nature of the challenge and the continuing need for clearance and awareness efforts.

For residents of districts such as Midi, the cumulative totals reported by demining teams translate into tangible changes on the ground: fields that can once again be planted, roads that can be travelled with less fear, and neighbourhoods to which families can begin to return. Yet clearance in one area does little to diminish the danger in the many others still awaiting attention, and demining officials caution that the pace of the work, however steady, is measured against a scale of contamination that will take many years to address in full.

For now, the clearance of 1,263 devices in a single week stands as a marker of the ongoing effort to rid Yemen of the explosive legacy of its conflict. As the work continues in the Midi District and beyond, the steady progress of demining teams contributes to the safety of civilians and to the broader task of enabling communities to recover.