Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia, represented by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), has spent a total of $241,167,000 to implement de-mining projects in Yemen, Azerbaijan, and Iraq. This is part of the Kingdom’s keenness on responding to humanitarian crises, conflicts, and natural disasters across the world.

The Kingdom has been keen to help promote stability and prosperity in these countries and has supported regional and international initiatives in the field of mine clearance, aiming to reduce the social and economic impacts associated with landmines and unexploded ordnance, with the goal of protecting civilians and achieving a safer, more stable environment.

In mid-2018, KSrelief launched the Masam Landmine Clearance Project in Yemen. The humanitarian initiative was aimed at assisting the Yemeni people to confront this serious security threat. The project is carried out by Saudi personnel and international experts, with a team of 550 employees and 32 trained mine clearance teams working to remove various types of mines and unexploded ordnance that were randomly planted across different governorates.

The goal is to counter the direct threats to the lives of the Yemeni people, promote security in the country, and address the humanitarian tragedies caused by the spread of buried explosives. Since its launch, the project has managed to remove 486,108 landmines, unexploded ordnance, and munitions, and has cleared 65,888,674 cubic meters of land.

The center has also established a prosthetics program in Yemen, benefiting 25,340 individuals. The aim is to restore hope to mine victims by providing high-quality prosthetic limbs and training local staff in prosthetic manufacturing techniques, building the capacity of health institutions to ensure the sustainability of services, and rehabilitating the injured to enable them to become productive individuals capable of working and leading a normal life. The total value of prosthetics projects in Yemen amounted to $39,497,000.

The project’s work is not limited to its primary mission of mine clearance but also includes providing various health and social assistance to the victims and those affected. In the field of demining efforts, workers face severe risks that may lead to the loss of lives. Approximately 30 individuals have been martyred while performing their duties in the project since its launch due to landmine or ordnance explosions during the clearance operations.

The efforts of KSrelief to combat the spread of landmines are not limited to Yemen but have extended to other countries. In January 2024, the center initiated financial grants to clear Azerbaijani landmines, aimed at supporting ongoing reconstruction efforts and the return of displaced persons to their homes in targeted areas. The objective is to improve the environment, protect civilians—especially women and children—build local capacities, ensure safe environments, maintain public health, and mitigate the dangerous effects of landmines on individuals and communities.

In April 2024, the center funded survey and clearance projects for cluster munitions and landmines in several Iraqi governorates to achieve a safe, mine-free environment for the stability and security of Iraqi citizens, improve their livelihoods, enable them to resume farming and livestock herding activities, and support and enhance the Iraqi economy.

On Friday, KSrelief celebrated the International Day for Mine Awareness, that falls on April 4 every year, to raise awareness about the dangers of landmines and call for enhanced efforts to combat them, protect lives from their threats, build capacities for workers in affected countries, and alleviate the suffering of those impacted.