Masam: 3,015 mines, unexploded shells, and explosive devices were removed during December 2023

At the end of 2023, Masam Project for Landmine Clearance in Yemen will close a long page of successes, achievements and bets over the past year, the fruits of which have been reaped and the achievements of which have been documented in the language of numbers. The achievements of Masam project have been a bright chapter of the humanitarian journey throughout history.
Thus, Masam adds to the records of its achievements in Yemen at the level of mine action, a luminous chapter of humanitarian giving that was closed yesterday, to open a new page for writing down challenging bets on which it will work throughout 2024. Masam is committed to making this year a year of achievements at the level of combating mines and thwarting the plans aiming at the confiscating of life in Yemen, through qualitative achievements documented by the anticipated numbers of removal and destruction at the hands of its experienced teams in combating mines.
Masam project left the imprint of its continuous achievements in the memory of the year 2023. With regard to these achievements, Masam managing director Ousama Algosaibi, said: “Continuous achievement and endless giving are Masam’s approach from which it never deviates. Enabling Yemen to have access to safety against mines is a goal that we are approaching day after day. The fruits of this goal will be certainly reaped by all the Yemeni citizens. This project concluded in 2023 with the number 3015, a figure that reflects the total number of mines, unexploded shells, and explosive devices that were cleared last December.”
Algosaibi stated that during December 2023, the project was able to remove 2,525 unexploded ordnance and 444 anti-tank mines, adding that the project destroyed 289 mines, unexploded ordnance, and explosive devices, as part of its relentless effort to save innocent lives from camouflaged explosive devices. He noted that the total area which the project cleared during the same month reached 822,725 square meters of Yemeni land.
Algosaibi highlighted the outcome of Masam’s achievements, saying: “The total that has been removed since the launch of Masam project at the end of June 2018 until today has reached 426,809 mines, unexploded ordnance, and explosive devices, planted by the Houthi militia randomly in various Yemeni governorates. The total cleared area has reached 52,866,744 square meters, since the launch of the project until today.”

* A promising end of the year
The month of December 2023 witnessed a number of qualitative events that Masam Project experienced and heralded the tidings of a new year full of achievements and determination to succeed and shine at the level of its humanitarian bet in Yemen, “Yemen without Mines.”
In this context, Masam received a package of messages of appreciation on the occasion of the conclusion of the Gulf Summit hosted by the Qatari capital last December. Algosaibi responded, in a press statement, to these messages by saying: “The content of the final statement issued by the summit in praise of the work of “Masam” project in the Yemeni territories comes within the framework of the caring of the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries for the interest of the Yemeni people, and their keenness on everything that would achieve security and stability in the Republic of Yemen.. What was included in the statement is considered the best motivation for the project and all its workers towards continuing Masam’s humanitarian mission. The chief goal of this mission is to help the Yemeni people get rid of the danger of mines; planted by the militias in flagrant violation of the rules of international humanitarian law.”
During December, Marib Governorate held a celebration on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day. Within the framework of this celebration, Masam Project was honored in appreciation and gratitude for its ongoing efforts to protect human rights and preserve the life of the innocent people as well as for its unprecedented humanitarian giving in order to clear the Yemeni lands from the danger of mines that threaten the lives of the population.
The same month also witnessed Masam’s participation in a photographic and documentary exhibition entitled “Houthi Violations… Crimes against Humanity and Destruction of the Homeland,” which was held in Al-Khawkhah District in Hodeidah Governorate, with the aim of conveying the voice of the innocents and those affected by the oppression of mines to the world.
During the month of December 2023, Masam Project, in partnership with Hemaya Center for Human Rights in the city of Taiz, also held a symposium entitled “Women between the Challenges of Displacement and the Risks of Mines,” The event was meant to shed light on the dangers of mines and the challenges of displacement to which women in Yemen are exposed due to the Houthi militia planting mines and explosive devices in civilian and agricultural areas, resulting in injuries and deaths.
During this month, Masam also continued its ongoing work to rid vital facilities in Yemen of the oppression of mines, as Usaylan Jabbah District Electricity Project, which is one of the vital projects that aims to provide electrical service to more than 20 thousand people in 5 areas of Usaylan District, suffered a major disruption due to the mines planted on electricity transmission lines by Houthi militias. As a result, the project work was suspended and electricity delivery to the affected areas was delayed.
Masam’s teams began securing large parts of the power lines until work on the electricity project was resumed, a matter which will enable the areas of Usaylan districts to obtain the necessary electrical service, and will provide a lot of comfort and improvement in the lives of the local residents.
In December 2023, Masam also continued to work on raising the expertise of its crews and teams through getting them involved in a training program that included all the engineering teams of Masam project, whether in Marib or Aden sector. It is a routine program that is repeated at least two or three times a year for each team, to ensure this project continuously refining the skills of its teams and constantly taking into account developments, field challenges and safety reasons required to complete its humanitarian mission in Yemen.

* Humanitarian giving embraces promising prospects
In 2023, Masam continued to reap the fruits of its successes in the language of numbers at the heart of the terrain of Shabwah Governorate, specifically in Usaylan District, where the ninth team, after continuous efforts for several weeks, was able to secure the first field in Qarun al-Thalaab area, where more than 150 anti-mines were removed and destroyed, in addition to the anti-vehicle mines and explosive devices.
Masam Project is well aware that its future bets, forward-looking agenda, and prospective road map must take into account that the Houthi militias will not stop planting mines for a single day, despite the truce periods announced from time to time, and despite the efforts being made to revive the political process in Yemen. In fact, the challenges are great, the stakes are vital and the task entrusted to it is extremely humanitarian.
This is a pivotal factor that makes Masam’s future agenda always equipped with firmness, determination to succeed, and insistence on conquering challenges and achieving successes, a matter which was voiced by Mr. Ousama Algosaibi who said: “Masam is keen to develop its teams through continuous training for all its members, in addition to providing specialized courses for the bombing squads so that they are always brilliant, generous and dedicated. We are determined to fulfill our mission related to clearing all the Yemeni lands of mines, explosive devices and unexploded ordnance planted by the Houthi militia. Masam has not and will not hesitate to serve the Yemeni community by removing mines and sponsoring many local and international programs, events and awareness campaigns in order to create a preventive culture against this imminent danger and mobilize the ranks of international humanitarian organizations and call on them to follow the pattern of Masam in combating mines in Yemen. Masam is determined to reach out the voice of the innocent people and convey it to all corners of the earth, so that Yemen can reach the stage of safety in record time and with minimal human losses, and can also regain its development activity and sustainability at all levels.”