King Salman’s Relief Organization Executes Numerous Projects to Combat Landmines and Protect Civilians Worldwide at a Cost of $240 Million
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid, has made significant efforts in recent years to provide humanitarian assistance to countries facing humanitarian crises, conflicts, and natural disasters worldwide. The Kingdom has been committed to extending a helping hand to promote stability and prosperity in those countries. It has supported regional and international initiatives in mine action to minimize the social and economic impacts of mines, seeking to protect civilians and create a safer and more stable environment.
The King Salman Center for Relief has implemented mine action projects in Yemen, Azerbaijan, and Iraq, amounting to $241,167,000. In June 2018, the Kingdom launched the “Masam” project to clear Yemeni lands of mines, as a humanitarian initiative to assist the Yemeni people in addressing this dangerous security issue. The project involves 550 Saudi personnel and 32 trained teams to remove various types of randomly planted mines in various provinces, aiming to counter direct threats to the Yemeni people’s lives, enhance security in Yemeni regions, and address humanitarian tragedies resulting from mine proliferation.
Since its inception, the project has cleared 486,108 mines, explosive devices, and unexploded ordnances, cleansing 65,888,674 cubic meters of land. The King Salman Center for Relief established an Industrial Parts Program in Yemen, benefitting 25 individuals to restore hope by providing high-quality artificial limbs, training local staff in artificial limb manufacturing techniques, building healthcare capacity for sustainable services, and rehabilitating the injured to lead productive lives.
The project’s humanitarian efforts have extended beyond mine clearance to provide health and social assistance to victims and the affected. The fieldwork in mine action poses severe risks that have led to the loss of about 30 lives due to mine explosions since the project’s inception.
The Kingdom’s efforts in mine action have not been limited to Yemen but have expanded to other countries. In January 2024, the center initiated financial grants for mine clearance in Azerbaijan to facilitate reconstruction efforts and return displaced persons to their homes, improve the environment, protect civilians – especially women and children, build capacities, provide a safe environment, uphold public health, and mitigate the dangerous effects of mines on individuals and communities.
In April 2024, the center funded projects for cluster munition and mine survey and removal in several Iraqi provinces to achieve a safe, mine-free environment for the stability and security of Iraqi citizens, enhance their livelihoods, enable agricultural and livestock activities, and support the Iraqi economy.
On the International Day for Mine Awareness, observed on April 4 every year, the King Salman Center for Relief celebrates by raising awareness about the dangers of mines, calling for intensified efforts to combat and protect against them, and enhancing the capacities of those working in affected countries to alleviate the suffering of victims.
