Contamination and Impact

Yemen is contaminated with mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) from a series of past conflicts (1962–1969; 1970–1983; and in 1994) but escalating instability and conflict in the last two years has added significant new ERW contamination.

Mines

Mines were laid in border areas between North and South Yemen before they unified in 1990, and again in the 1994 internal conflict.[1] A Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) completed in July 2000 identified mine and ERW suspect hazardous areas (SHAs) covering an estimated 922km² and affecting 592 mine villages across 18 of Yemen’s 21 governorates. Subsequent demining identified a further 10 mined areas estimated to cover a total of some 605,000m² bringing the estimate of total contamination to 923km². Yemen’s Article 5 deadline extension request in 2008 said that 710km² had been released leaving 457 areas covering 213km² to be “addressed.”[2]

However, those estimates have been overtaken by events, leaving the extent of remaining contamination uncertain. Yemen has reported that new mine contamination resulted from the 2010 insurgency in northern Sada’a governorate led by Abdul Malik al-Houthi[3] and the 2011 insurgency around southern Abyan by militants identified as belonging to Ansar al-Sharia, linked to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.[4] The Yemen Executive Mine Action Center (YEMAC) reported that insurgents in Sada’a governorate had laid homemade mines, later clearing some but missing others.[5] Mines were also reportedly used in the capital Sana’a during the 2011 confrontation between government forces and the First Armored Division.[6] Emergency clearance operations around Abyan in June 2012 encountered heavy mine contamination reported to have caused many casualties.[7]

The UN reported that, by December 2011, 235 areas covering 139.72km² remained to be cleared, not including new contamination in Sada’a and Abyan.[8] However, Yemen’s latest Article 7 report states that 20 of Yemen’s 21 governorates are mine-affected[9] and that 331.55km² remain to be released, 9% more than the previous year’s Article 7 report. This included a total of 61.17km² where work had been suspended and 70.17km² where work was “ongoing.” The report said a further 200.26km² remained to be surveyed or cleared.[10]

Cluster munition remnants

It is not known to what extent Yemen is affected by cluster munition remnants. Amnesty International reported the presence of unexploded BLU-97 submunitions in June 2010 which it alleged originated from a United States (US) cruise missile attack on 17 December 2009 on the community of al-Ma’jalah in the Abyan area in south Yemen.[11]

Other explosive remnants of war

Contamination identified by the LIS (see above) included unexploded ordnance (UXO) as well as mines but the full extent of UXO contamination following recent conflict is not known. An August 2012 funding appeal by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs notes the presence in Abyan of “new threats from unexploded ordnance, mines and the new and more unpredictable security environment.”[12] In addition to reports of booby-traps and IEDs around Abyan and its main town, Zinjibar, recaptured by government forces in June 2012, media photos also suggest the presence of artillery shells among other items of UXO.[13]

Mine Action Program

Key institutions and operators

Yemen established a National Mine Action Committee (NMAC) in June 1998 by prime ministerial decree to formulate policy, allocate resources, and develop a national mine action strategy.[14] NMAC, chaired by the minister of state (a member of the cabinet), brings together representatives of seven concerned ministries.

YEMAC was established in Sana’a in January 1999 as NMAC’s implementing body with responsibility for coordinating all mine action in the country.[15] It is supported by a Regional Executive Mine Action Branch (REMAB), by a National Training Center in Aden (also set up in 1999), and by another REMAB in al-Mukalla (Hadramout governorate) that was added in March 2004. REMABs are responsible for field implementation of the national mine action plan.

In May 1999, UNDP started a program to support YEMAC. In October 2003, the program moved from direct—UN—execution to national execution. UNDP continues to support the program, but there has been no international technical advisor since 2005. Support from the German Society for Technical Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit, GTZ) enabled the construction of a mine detection dog (MDD) center in Sana’a and training of MDD handlers.[16]

In March 2008, YEMAC updated its strategic mine action plan to cover April 2009 to September 2014, within the extension period it sought in its Article 5 deadline extension request (see, Compliance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty section below).[17]

Land Release

YEMAC did not report what land was released in 2010 or 2011. Its latest Article 7 Report stated that it had released a total of 788 minefields but did not clarify in what period of time or give other details.[18]

Five-year summary of clearance

N/R = Not Reported

Survey in 2011

YEMAC has not reported on the release by technical survey or cancelation by non-technical survey (NTS) in 2011. The area reported cancelled in its Article 7 reports was the same for the year ended 31 March 2012 as for the previous year ended 31 March 2011 at 148.28km².

YEMAC reported it conducted NTS in Abyan after government forces regained control of the area, identifying 22 SHAs covering 19.32km² affected by antipersonnel and antivehicle mines, ERW, and booby-traps.[19]

Mine clearance in 2011

Mine clearance in Yemen is undertaken solely by the Engineering Forces of the Ministry of Defense who are seconded to YEMAC. In its latest Article 7 Report, it said it had 777 deminers and survey team members, as well as 14 “UXO disposal teams,” 12 mine detection dogs and five quality assurance teams.[20]

In the past two years, YEMAC has not reported the results of any demining. Its latest Article 7 report said demining was under way in 45 minefields and that it had “completed” the release of a total of 504.68km²,which is 32.76km² (or 7%) more than it reported as completed the previous year. It added that demining operations had been limited to 12 districts in the governorates of Abb, Al-Dhale’e, Al Mahrah, Amran, Hadhramout, Lahij, Mareeb, and Taiz.[21] YEMAC reported it had started demining in Sada’a governorate in 2010 but stopped in 2011 because of deteriorating security.[22]

In 2012, engineers were deployed to clear large numbers of mines, booby-traps, IEDs, and other ERW in Zinjibar, Lawdar and other parts of Abyan after government forces regained control of most of the governorate in June 2012. The contamination reportedly inflicted heavy civilian casualties and posed a major obstacle to the return of populations displaced by the conflict. YEMAC reported in July that 95 people had died in mine and ERW incidents in Abyan, including five of its own personnel. It said engineers had cleared 1,537 mines in Abyan since the government takeover. Two months later, YEMAC reported to donors that its inquiries had revealed only 16 casualties from mines or UXO. It also reported that since June 2012 it had cleared 72 antipersonnel mines, 35 antivehicle mines, 2,505 items of ERW, and 1,681 booby-traps.[23]

Compliance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty (and in accordance with the five year extension granted in 2008), Yemen is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 March 2015.

The extent of Yemen’s progress towards meeting its Article 5 extended deadline is unclear because of contradictory information it has provided. Yemen’s Article 7 report for the year through 31 March 2012 said it had surveyed and cleared 784.6km² of a total suspected area of 923km², indicating the remaining suspect area amounted to 138.4km. However, the area, which the report identified as “ongoing”, “suspended” or “left” as of 31 March 2012, amounted to a total of 331.55km², 28.4km² (9%) more than a year earlier.[24]

Yemen appears to have significant additional mine and UXO contamination as a result of conflict in 2011−2012 but the extent is not known.

Quality management

YEMAC reports that it operates with five quality assurance teams.[25]

Safety of demining personnel

YEMAC said five of its personnel were among mine/ERW casualties in Abyan during operations under way from June 2012 but did not state if they included fatalities or the extent of injuries.[26]

Risk Education

YEMAC coordinates and supervises risk education (RE) with support from UNICEF. Yemen’s latest Article 7 Report said it had established a Mine Awareness Advisory Committee chaired by the deputy minister of information to develop a national campaign and submit it for approval by the NMAC.[27]

YEMAC reported visiting 866 villages to conduct RE training in the year ended 31 March 2012 as part of a nationwide RE program that included training for officials in the ministries of information and education; these ministries in turn provide training for community RE “cells”, as well as for other forms of promotion, such as poster and poetry competitions. YEMAC also said it focused on providing RE to refugees in camps in Sada’a and Hajjah governorates, drawing attention to “new kinds of mines” used by insurgents in those areas. [28]

Danish Demining Group (DDG), with funding of $245,000 from UNICEF and the Norwegian government, worked in cooperation with YEMAC, focusing on preparing child-friendly RE materials dealing with the threat from UXO and landmines. It aimed to provide RE to some 12,500 school children in the Aden area, expanding the program in 2013 to the Abyan area and covering around 33,000 people.[29]