A staggering 9,584 civilians in Yemen have been killed or injured by landmines since 2014, according to data released by the Saudi demining project Masam.
Masam attributed the explosives to Houthi rebels, citing their role in indiscriminate mine-laying since the outbreak of Yemen’s conflict.
Masam’s report, covering casualties from 2014 through December 2024, documented 4,501 fatalities and 5,083 injuries, warning that landmines continue to pose a severe threat to communities, particularly in conflict-affected provinces.
According to Masam report Taiz governorate suffered the highest death toll (964 killed) and injury count (1,321), underscoring its status as a prolonged frontline in the war.
Hodeidah, a critical port region, the report added, recorded 835 deaths and 586 injuries.
Al-Jawf and Marib (a key displacement hub) saw 505 and 400 deaths, respectively, with hundreds more wounded. And finally, Al-Baydha reported 409 fatalities and 330 injuries.
Since its launch in June 2018, the Saudi-backed Masam project reported to have cleared 481,776 hazardous items—including anti-personnel mines, anti-tank mines, and unexploded ordnance—from over 65 million square meters of land.
Masam’s report key figures include: 6,726 anti-personnel mines, 146,090 anti-tank mines and
320,766 unexploded remnants of war
Despite these efforts, Masam emphasizes that millions of mines remain buried, disproportionately endangering children, farmers, and displaced populations.
The report urges increased international funding for demining operations and victim rehabilitation, accusing Houthi forces of violating international law by targeting civilian areas. It appeals for political pressure to halt further mine-laying, branding the crisis a “long-term humanitarian disaster.”