Yemen

Donors ended funding in 2023 for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s emergency programme causing the Yemen Executive Mine Action Centre in areas controlled by the internationally-recognised government (YEMAC-IRG) to stand down more than 60 teams, halt survey and clearance operations, and deploy teams only on emergency call-outs. The Yemen Mine Action Coordination Centre (YMACC) continued to task operators and maintain information management. Project Masam conducted emergency clearance on 10.8km2 of mined area in IRG-controlled areas. Three international demining NGOs visited Sana’a in February 2023 and negotiated a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the de facto authorities (DFA) that would provide a basis for them to operate in Houthi-controlled areas, but the MoUs have remained unsigned. Humanity & Inclusion (HI) concluded an MoU with YEMAC-DFA but conducted only limited non-technical survey (NTS) activities.

Civil war between the Saudi-backed IRG based in Aden and Iranian-supported Houthis in Sana’a massively increased the scale and complexity of explosive ordnance contamination, including conventional and improvised mines, and split YEMAC. Little information emerged on the activities of YEMAC-DFA in the north where no international demining organisations were operational. YEMAC-IRG submitted successive Article 5 deadline extension requests in 2019 and 2022 setting in motion a baseline survey to develop understanding of contamination and slowly started to develop partnerships with international demining NGOs, but international funding through UNDP ended in 2023 largely halting YEMAC-IRG activities.

• All parties to conflict should act to halt continuing use of mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
• The United Nations, YEMAC-IRG, and YEMAC-DFA should engage constructively to develop a framework for mine action that can facilitate a resumption of international donor funding.
• YEMAC-DFA should provide comprehensive annual data detailing survey and clearance activities and estimates of the extent of mine contamination.
• YEMAC-DFA should sign MoUs negotiated with international operators and with full support of all DFA authorities expedite the deployment of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs).
• YEMAC-IRG’s annual Article 7 reports should include cumulative results of the baseline survey and land release disaggregated by operator.

Click here to download the "Clearing the Mines 2024" report for Yemen.