RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center recently took part in two symposia dealing with humanitarian affairs in Yemen that were conducted on the sidelines of the 52nd regular session of the Human Rights Council, held at the UN office in Geneva.
The director of the medical and environmental assistance department, Dr. Abdullah Al-Muallim, and director of social support, Dr. Hana Omar, represented KSrelief at the events.
In one of the symposia, Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian and relief assistance for Yemen was discussed, as well as the Kingdom’s contribution to ameliorating the humanitarian situation in the country. The second event cast light on the proliferation of land mines in Yemen and Saudi Arabia’s role in the demining process through the Masam project.
The Masam project clears Yemeni territories of land mines planted by the Houthi militia. Mines have killed and injured thousands of children, women and elderly people, placing a heavy burden on Yemen’s medical sector and inflicting loss on the economy and society.
Speakers at the symposium reported that more than $167 million has been spent on demining operations, including training Yemenis and spreading awareness among the population.
The symposium also addressed the challenges facing humanitarian workers in demining operations, including a lack of maps pinpointing the location of mines and poor awareness on correct procedures to handle anti-tank mines.
It also drew the attention of the world community to the importance of mounting effective pressure on the Houthi militia to stop the use of mines, especially in urban areas.
Since it was founded in 2018, the Masam project has removed a total of 389,706 mines and other unexploded ordnance placed by the Houthi militia across Yemen.
