Saudi Arabia Launches Land-mine clearing Project in Yemen

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) announced on Monday the Saudi project for land mine clearance to rid the country of some 800,000 mines at a cost of US$40 million.

Adviser at the Royal Court and KSRelief Supervisor General Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah announced that the one-year five-phase project would be implemented in association with the Yemen National Program for Landmines Clearance.

“The humanitarian work is a top priority for the Kingdom in all liberated areas and a Saudi land bridge has been launched to deliver humanitarian and relief assistance to all needy people in Hodeidah province,” he said adding that an air bridge will also be launched from Riyadh to Hodeidah on Tuesday in addition to sending a number of ships from Jaza, Saudi Gazzette  reported.

Al Rabeeah said that the authorities have so far found more than 600,000 landmines in the liberated areas in addition to 130,000 internationally embargoed anti-boat-and-vessel sea mines, out of which 40,000 in Marib governorate and 16,000 in Meyon Island.

According to Yemeni government reports, a total of 615 people, including101 children and 26 women, were killed and 924 injured due to explosion of landmines during the period between since Dec. 2014 and Dec. 2016.

Meanwhile, rebel Houti news outlets have accused the Saudi-led coalition of planting landmines in areas seized from the rebels.