Project Masam removes 961 landmines in Yemen: November 2025 tally
As part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s ongoing humanitarian efforts to protect civilian lives in Yemen, the Masam Project for Landmine Clearance, affiliated with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, announced the results of its intensive field operations during the fourth week of November 2025. The project’s engineering teams achieved a new milestone by removing 961 landmines, unexploded ordnance, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted in various areas. This represents a vital step towards restoring normalcy to affected areas and ensuring the safe return of displaced persons.
Details of field operations and distribution of removed mines
The Masam Project's operations room revealed in its weekly report that the materials removed this week included six anti-personnel mines, 92 anti-tank mines, 862 pieces of unexploded ordnance, and one improvised explosive device. The clearance efforts were geographically distributed across several Yemeni governorates, with the Midi district in Hajjah Governorate witnessing intensive activity that resulted in the removal of four anti-personnel mines, 90 anti-tank mines, and 56 pieces of unexploded ordnance.
In Aden, the interim capital, the team secured targeted areas by removing six anti-personnel mines and 386 pieces of unexploded ordnance. Operations also extended to Taiz, where 377 pieces of unexploded ordnance were removed in the Mocha district, in addition to securing the districts of Dhubab and Salw by removing anti-tank mines and various other munitions. The governorates of Al Dhale'a, Al Hudaydah, Lahj, and Shabwa were also included in the operations, with teams continuing to clear them of dangerous remnants of war.
Historical context and strategic importance of the project
These figures gain significance from the historical context of the Yemeni crisis, where landmine contamination has been one of the most serious challenges facing Yemen for years. The MASAM project was launched in mid-2018 as a purely Saudi initiative in response to the catastrophe caused by the indiscriminate and widespread planting of landmines in Yemeni territory. These mines are characterized as a "hidden enemy" that makes no distinction between military and civilian targets. Thousands of mines have been planted in farms, schools, water sources, and public roads, directly threatening the lives of children, women, and the elderly.
The economic and social impact of the cleanup operations
The importance of the "Masam" project extends beyond security to encompass crucial economic and social dimensions. Mine clearance operations are a cornerstone of stability, aiming to enable Yemeni citizens to return to their homes and resume their daily lives safely. Clearing agricultural lands also contributes to the revitalization of local economic activity, allowing farmers to harvest their crops without fear of buried explosives, and securing roads for the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need in remote villages.
Record numbers reflect the scale of the Saudi achievement
By the end of the fourth week of November 2025, the total number of mines and unexploded ordnance removed during that month alone had reached 4,726, a figure that reflects the intensity of field operations and the rapid response of the engineering teams to reports. With this latest achievement, the total number of mines, unexploded ordnance, and improvised explosive devices cleared since the launch of the MASAM project has reached 526,460.
These huge numbers confirm the magnitude of the challenge facing Yemen, and in contrast, they highlight the Saudi determination, through its humanitarian arm, the King Salman Relief Center, to continue working until Yemen is declared completely free of mines, thus consolidating the Kingdom’s leading role in international humanitarian work and the protection of human lives.
