Yemen

Yemen is contaminated with anti-personnel mines and cluster munition remnants.

Cluster Munition Remnants

Anti-Personnel Mines
  • Performance

    Not Applicable

Key Developments

Yemen’s internationally recognised government (IRG) laid out the general principles of a strategy for the mine action sector in the areas under its control in its Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) Article 5 deadline extension request submitted in March 2022 seeking an additional five years to its mine clearance deadline. YEMEN is not yet a State Party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM). In the south, the Yemen Executive Mine Action Centre (YEMAC) and the Yemen Mine Action Coordination Centre (YMACC), along with their respective implementing partners gave priority to rolling out the Yemen Baseline Survey intended to capture the extent of all explosive ordnance contamination. Three international demining organisations visited Sanaa in February 2023 to negotiate a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with YEMAC North that would provide a basis when signed for operating in areas of Yemen controlled by Ansar Allah De Facto Authorities. At the time of writing, the MoU had yet to be signed by YEMAN North.Email from UNMAS Headquarters, 24 July 2023. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) decided to end its emergency mine action support to Yemen at the end of June 2023 due to lack of funding, opening the way for major restructuring of mine action in Yemen.


Recommendations for Action

  • Yemen should accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) as a matter of priority.
  • Yemen should comply with its obligations under international human rights law to clear cluster munition remnants (CMR) on territory under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible.
  • The Internationally Recognised Government of Yemen (IRG) should introduce streamlined, consistent and transparent procedures for the import of demining equipment.
  • De Facto Authorities (DFA) in Sanaa should expedite access for international demining organisations in order to facilitate capacity development for the mine action programme.
  • The DFA and YEMAC should establish a coordination centre similar to YMACC in the north to increase efficiency and avoid the conflict of interest in its current role as regulator and operator.
  • YEMAC should draw up work plans for operations in the north and the south.

Download the full 2023 report for Yemen

Click here to download the full "Clearing Cluster Munition Remnants 2023" report for Yemen.