Project Masam Managing Director Ousama Algosaibi has warned that renewed mine-laying in Yemen is creating fresh contamination in areas that had previously been cleared, adding a new layer of risk to an already extensive explosive threat.
Speaking to Riyadh-based Saudi media platform QulWadal, Algosaibi said recent developments had undermined some of the progress achieved through years of humanitarian Mine Action, with landmines and other explosive devices appearing again in locations that had already undergone clearance.
He said Project Masam had documented a recurring pattern in areas affected by Houthi movements, where mines and explosive devices were laid before forces withdrew, sometimes within a very short period. Algosaibi said the renewed contamination made it increasingly difficult to assess the true scale of Yemen’s mine problem.
The total number of mines laid nationwide remains unknown, in part because of the lack of comprehensive minefield maps and reliable records. Previous estimates suggested that around two million landmines may have been laid across Yemen, but Algosaibi said fresh mine-laying linked to the latest escalation meant those figures were now likely to underestimate the current threat.
His comments come as Project Masam passes a major operational milestone. By the end of October, the project had cleared 600,000 landmines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and items of unexploded ordnance (UXO) since operations began in 2018.
Algosaibi said the milestone reflected the sustained work of Project Masam’s demining and engineering teams, as well as the sacrifices made by personnel carrying out humanitarian Mine Action operations across Yemen.
Project Masam is funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief). Since launching in mid-2018, the project has carried out humanitarian clearance, emergency response, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, non-technical survey and risk-education activities in affected areas.
Algosaibi also highlighted the extent to which explosive contamination intersects with civilian life. Project Masam teams have encountered landmines and IEDs in and around residential areas, farmland, schools, places of worship, water sources and access routes used by local communities.
Such contamination can prevent families from returning home, restrict access to agricultural and grazing land, obstruct movement between communities and increase the risks faced by civilians trying to reach essential services.
Algosaibi said Project Masam’s humanitarian mission remained focused on reducing those risks, protecting civilians and restoring safer access to land and infrastructure wherever operational conditions allow.
He added that the renewed contamination of previously cleared areas showed why mine action in Yemen cannot be treated as a linear process, particularly while conflict dynamics continue to shift and fresh hazards are still being introduced.
Project Masam will continue responding to newly reported contamination, carrying out clearance and emergency-response operations, and supporting affected communities as Yemen’s explosive threat continues to evolve.
