RIYADH: KSrelief’s demining initiative, Project Masam, has cleared 3,500 landmines and explosive remnants of war across Yemen so far in March 2026, continuing efforts to reduce explosive threats and protect civilians in contaminated areas.
According to the project’s latest operational figures covering March 1–20, 2026, the items removed include: 12 anti-personnel mines, 242 anti-tank mines, 3,233 items of unexploded ordnance and 13 improvised explosive devices.
During the same period, Project Masam teams secured 41,280 sq. meters of land, making it safe for civilian use.
Clearance operations took place across several governorates, including Aden, Al-Hudaydah, Hadramout, Hajjah and Marib, where explosive contamination continues to threaten communities, agricultural activity and access routes.
The majority of explosive items located during March have been unexploded ordnance, highlighting the ongoing risks posed by munitions left behind in former conflict zones.
Many of these items remain buried or concealed in farmland, roadsides and residential areas, posing long-term dangers to civilians.
Operations during this period have also taken place while many Project Masam demining teams were temporarily stood down during the holy month of Ramadan, with a number of emergency and standby teams remaining active to respond to urgent threats and conduct limited clearance where required.
Since the project began operations in mid-2018, Project Masam teams have cleared 549,452 explosive threats across Yemen, including landmines, unexploded ordnance, and improvised explosive devices.
These operations have helped render 77,988,650 sq. meters of land safe, enabling displaced families to return, farmers to access their land and humanitarian organizations to operate more safely.
Despite difficult terrain, security constraints, and shifting environmental conditions such as sand movement, Project Masam continues to carry out systematic clearance operations in line with international humanitarian mine action standards.
