Key developments since May 2002: By the
end of 2002, six of the fourteen high impact communities had been cleared of
mines and declared safe. Technical surveys of the other high impact communities
were completed. In 2002, eighteen mined areas were cleared, totaling 1,176,406
square meters. Survey teams engaged in area reduction of 570,625 square meters
and marked another 3,451,895 square meters. In 2002, 204 antipersonnel mines,
151 antivehicle mines, and 25,361 UXO were destroyed in clearance and survey
operations.
Mine Ban Policy
Yemen signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December
1997, ratified on 1 September 1998, and the treaty entered into force on 1 March
1999. The Ministry of Legal Affairs is preparing legislation to implement the
treaty, which will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval before beingpresented to the
Parliament.[1]
Yemen served as co-chair of the Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on Mine
Clearance from September 2001 to September 2002. Yemen attended the Fourth
Meeting of States Parties in September 2002 and also participated in Standing
Committee meetings in February and May 2003. Yemen submitted its annual Article
7 Report on 10 April 2003. This is the country’s fifth transparency
measures report.[2] On 22
November 2002, Yemen voted in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution 57/74,
supporting the universalization and implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty.
The YemenMine Awareness Association (YMAA) distributed the country
report on Yemen from Landmine Monitor Report 2002 to media and
communities in mine-affected areas. It also translated Landmine Monitor’s
Research Guide into Arabic, for use by researchers in the region.
Yemen states that it has never manufactured or exported antipersonnel mines.
The last reported use of mines was
1994.[3] On 27 April 2002,
Yemen completed destruction of its stockpile of 74,000 antipersonnel
mines.[4] Yemen originally
retained 4,000 antipersonnel minesfor training and research
purposes.[5] It has used 240 of
the retained mines for mine detecting dog
training.[6] The Army does not
possess Claymore-type mines.[7]
Landmine Problem and Surveys
A nationwide Landmine Impact Survey, completed in
July 2000, identified 592 mine-affected villages in 19 of the country’s 20
governorates.[8] A total of
1,078 mined areas were identified with a reported surface area of 923 million
square meters, mainly in the center and south of the country. Approximately
828,000 Yemenis, sixteen percent of the population, are affected by the presence
of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO).
Using the results of the survey, a five-year strategic plan was developed to
clear the fourteen high impact communities by 2004. By the end of 2002, six of
these communities had been cleared and declared safe. A total of 55 other mined
areas have also been cleared to international
standards.[9] Technical surveys
of the eight remaining high impact communities, covering an area of 22.5 square
kilometers, have been
completed.[10]
Mine Action Funding
International donor contributions for mine action
in Yemen in 2002 totaled at least $5.6 million, up from about $4 million in
2001. Donors in 2002 included Germany ($1,094,000), Saudi Arabia ($1,000,000),
United States ($750,000), Netherlands ($500,000), Japan ($486,000), United
Kingdom ($414,000), Norway ($278,000), Italy ($250,000), Switzerland ($200,000),
Canada ($97,000), and Sweden
($46,000).[11]Another
$500,000 was provided through the
UNDP.[12]
In 2002, the government of Yemen provided approximately 3 million Yemeni
Rials (about US$17,000 at official conversion rates) for the national mine
action program, which covered national staff salaries and benefits, social
security, healthcare, insurance, and approximately $15,000 for landmine victim
assistance.[13]
Mine Action Coordination and Planning
The National Mine Action Committee (NMAC), chaired
by the Minister of State (a member of the cabinet), is responsible for policy
formulation, resource allocation, and the national mine action strategy. The
Yemen Executive Mine Action Center (YEMAC) is responsible for coordination of
mine action activities, and the activities of the Regional Executive Mine Action
Branch (REMAB Aden). It also executes national mine action plans. In 2003, the
Yemen Mine Action Program employs 667 personnel in planning, training,
logistics, mine survey, mine clearance, mine awareness, and victim assistance.
The NMAC has established a Mine Awareness Advisory Committee (MAAC) and a Victim
Assistance Advisory Committee (VAAC), as well as working groups to assist with
planning and evaluation of mine awareness and victim assistance activities.
In 2002, the Prime Minister passed Resolution No. 282 titled
“Reestablishment and reformulation of the National Mine Action Committee
and specifying its tasks.” Under this new resolution, four ministries
were added to the NMAC, in addition to the deputy director of the Prime
Minister’s office and the director of the Technical Executive Unit. The
NMAC’s responsibilities and mechanisms were detailed and clarified to
ensure effective
coordination.[14]
Mine Clearance
A total of 816 national mine action personnel have
been trained in survey, clearance, risk education, and victim assistance. They
are organized into seven clearance and seven technical survey teams, assisted by
three international technical advisors. The number of teams will increase to
eight in 2003, as the final training and fielding is
finished.[15] Three quality
assurance teams are also fully trained and operational. No international
commercial companies or NGOs conduct mine clearance in Yemen.
In 2002, a mine detecting dog capability was established, which will also be
expanded in 2003. Thirteen dogs arrived from Germany, and eight from
Afghanistan, two of which died. Sixteen members of the regional mine action
staff are being trained to work with these
dogs.[16]
In 2002, the seven mine clearance teams cleared eighteen known mined areas
totaling 1,176,406 square meters, detecting and destroying 51 antipersonnel
mines, eight antivehicle mine, and 615 UXO. Seven of these cleared areas were
handed over to the local authorities. Outside known mined areas, clearance
teams destroyed 125 antipersonnel mines, 130 antivehicle mines, and 8,837
UXO.[17]
The seven technical survey teams engaged in area reduction of 570,625 square
meters and marked another 3,451,895 square meters. These operations resulted in
the detection and destruction of 28 antipersonnel mines, 13 antivehicle mines,
and 1,509 UXO.[18]
In January 2003, six dogs started work in minefield quality assurance and
area reduction.[19]
Mine Risk Education
In 2002, the Yemen Mine Awareness Association
(YMAA) and the mine risk education department at the Regional Mine Action Center
in Aden carried out joint activities in Aden, Lahej, Abyan, Ebb, and Aldhala,
reaching 84 villages and schools with a total population of 95,044 persons. The
organizations made 49 field visits and distributed 19,582 posters and
educational games.[20]
Mine risk education (MRE) in Yemen is mainly conducted through field visits
and workshops in villages close to mined areas. There is ongoing coordination
with key people (Shiekhs, Imams, teachers, students, and journalists) at the
governorate and village levels. The content of the participatory workshops
include an introduction to the danger of mines and UXO using materials such as
plastic models and posters. The participants are also trained in how to
transmit basic MRE messages using a child-to-child approach. Communication
skills and safety procedures are also taught in case they encounter mines or
UXO. Role-playing and games are also used.
The NMAC’s MRE department produced a documentary film advocating for
the Mine Ban Treaty and detailing mine action activities in Yemen, which was
shown on Yemeni television in March 2002.
In 2002, the YMAA conducted field visits to community-based programs in
Qataba in Al-Dhala governorate and Al-Nadra in Ebb Governorate. YMAA also
produced a poster and a storybook depicting mine survivors, as well as three
issues of a quarterly MRE newsletter, with support provided by the U.S. Embassy.
In November 2002, Rädda Barnen (Save the Children Sweden) supported a
participatory evaluation with YMAA. The results were published at the end of
January 2003.[21] The
evaluation came after Rädda Barnen had completed its involvement in the
project. The evaluation concluded, “The positive impact on children and
community members is clear, and the main awareness messages seem to have reached
the largest portion of the communities
targeted.”[22] It
described outreach to women as the weak point of the program. The report
acknowledged the role of Rädda Barnen in transforming the local MRE
committee into an independent local organization, but described Rädda
Barnen’s decision to phase out as “abrupt.” The report
highlighted the need for reinforcement MRE sessions “at least every six
months” and called for the use of a wider variety of materials in order to
reach “those least targeted namely nomadic groups and women.” The
report also recommended the inclusion of MRE in the school curriculum to
“ensure outreach to the 592 mine affected
communities.”[23]
Landmine Casualties
In 2002, 10 mine/UXO incidents were recorded, in
which seven people were killed and 12 injured. In addition, on 24 March, two
soldiers were injured in a mine accident during a training exercise at the
Regional Mine Action Center in Aden. On 15 June, a deminer received serious
injuries to his face and right hand when an antipersonnel mine exploded in
Maresh village, Ebb
governorate.[24] Landmines
reportedly kill or injure on average five Yemeni civilians a month, with 231
casualties recorded by the mine action program in the two years to October
2002.[25]
Reported incidents in 2002 include a ten-year-old boy killed and two other
children injured on 25 March when UXO they were handling exploded. On 5 April,
an explosion in a marked area killed a 40-year-old shepherd, and on 28 April, a
UXO explosion in Al Hamra village injured three people, including two girls,
aged eight and ten. On 6 May, a man lost his foot and received fragmentation
injuries after stepping on a PMN antipersonnel mine in Qataba, Al Dhala. On 5
June, a rocket exploded as children handled it in Sleek village, Radfan, Lahaj
governorate, killing two 15-year-old boys and injuring two boys aged four and
13. On 28 June, an 18-year-old lost his left leg and another was injured by an
antipersonnel mine in Al Dhama district, Ebb governorate. In July, two boys
aged ten and 18 years were killed when they handled an antipersonnel mine in
Alow village in Ebb
governorate,[26] and on 7 July,
one person was injured by an antipersonnel mine in Qataba district. On 23
August, one man was killed when an antivehicle mine exploded in Karesh, Lahaj,
and on 29 October, a 15-year-old girl had her left leg amputated after she
stepped on an antipersonnel mine while herding livestock in Qataba, Al
Dhala.[27]
In 2001, the National Mine Action Center registered five new mine survivors,
while the Regional Mine Action Center in Aden reported ten people killed and
eight injured in mine
incidents.[28]
The Landmine Impact Survey, completed in July 2000, recorded a total of 4,904
casualties in Yemen, of which 2,560 were killed and 2,344
injured.[29]
Survivor Assistance
Landmine survivor assistance in Yemen is
coordinated through the Victim Assistance Advisory Committee, the membership of
which includes the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MOPHP), the
Ministry of Insurance and Social Affairs (MOISA), the Ministry of Labor and
Vocational Training, and the international NGOs, ADRA, Handicap International
Belgium (HIB), and Rädda Barnen.
The Victim Assistance Department in the National Mine Action Program provides
emergency medical assistance to casualties when mine or UXO incidents are
reported in any part of Yemen. The Victim Assistance Department developeda medical survey plan to follow up on results of Landmine Impact Survey. It
is divided into three stages including a medical survey, diagnosis, and
provision of medical support. Implementation of the survey commenced in June
2001 and continued throughout 2002. On 21 January 2002, the Victim Assistance
Department referred the first 51 mine/UXO survivors identified in Al-Dhala
governorate to the Aden Hospital for medical diagnosis and access to
rehabilitation services.[30]
For the year 2002, a total of 132 mine survivors received various forms of
assistance including medical examinations; 27 people received prostheses; 25
people received corrective surgery; and two people were provided with
wheelchairs.[31]
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) continued to assist the
MOPHP Artificial Limbs and Physiotherapy Center in Sana’a with the supply
of raw materials, components, equipment, and on-the-job training for
prosthetic/orthotic technicians. The ICRC also conducted an assessment on
behalf of the MOPHP of the new prosthetic workshop that opened in September in
Mukalla in the remote Hadramout
governorate.[32] As of March
2003, the Mukalla center was reportedly not
operational.[33] In 2002, the
Sana’a center produced 392 prostheses, of which 41 were for mine
survivors, and distributed 325 pairs of crutches and 166
wheelchairs.[34] The Mine
Action Program provided US$15,000 in 2002 to support the center in
Sana’a.[35]
Handicap International Belgium (HIB) supports two physical rehabilitation
centers in Taiz and Aden, in cooperation with MOISA and the MOPHP. Production
of below-knee prostheses started in March 2002, when four people received
prostheses, including two mine
survivors.[36] In 2002, the
centers produced 1,661 orthopedic
devices,[37] of which 19 were
for mine survivors,[38] and
provided 4,000 physiotherapy treatments. HIB continues to train orthopedic
technicians, assistants and physiotherapists at the centers. The Physical
Rehabilitation Center in Taiz began operating independently in 2002 with
occasional supervision from HIB. HIB also implemented a program of disability
awareness in 2002 and 2003 to assist the integration of people with a disability
into their communities. The HIB program was funded by the Yemen Social Fund for
Development, EC-Europe Aid, the British Council, and the Yemen Ministry of
Public Health and Population in
2002.[39]
The Yemen office of Rädda Barnen supports a MOISA community-based
program to assist children with disabilities in the governorates of Aden, Lahej,
Abyan, Taiz, and Ebb. Children with landmine injuries are among the
beneficiaries. The program was evaluated in 2001 and a workshop held on 26-28
January 2002 to evaluate the outcome and implement the recommendations and
lessons learned.[40] In 2002,
Rädda Barnen funded projects that included community mobilization
activities and training. The program assisted the medical needs of children
with disabilities as well as providing office
support.[41]
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency’s (ADRA) community based
rehabilitation project supports severely disabled persons, including mine
survivors. The project was due to end in July 2002 but was extended at the
request of the MOISA. The project operates in three districts at Hais in
Kowkha, Jabal Ras in Hodieda, and Makbana in Taiz. From 1999 to July 2002, the
project assisted 293 mine survivors (some injured as long as 20 years ago) with
assistive aids and vocational training. Four mine survivors received loans to
start up small businesses.[42]
The project is implemented by ADRA Canada with funding support from the Canadian
International Development Agency.
The Italian NGO Movimondo’s assistance program provides training for
Yemeni physiotherapists and nurses. The Italian government supports a
three-year physiotherapy project, which includes the development of a
physiotherapy curriculum, in coordination with the Ministry of Health in two
health institutes in Sana’a and
Aden.[43]
Disability Policy and Practice
Yemen has legislation to protect the rights of all
persons with disabilities.[44]
On 23 January 2002, Presidential Law Number 2 came into effect which established
a care and rehabilitation fund for persons with
disabilities.[45] In 2002, the
fund supported the Aden Association of the Physically Disabled by covering the
costs of their electricity and water bills, amounting to 544,042 YR from 1995 to
2002. The fund also paid for 12 people with a disability to work for five
months with the Association, at a cost of
YR355,000.[46]
Yemen provided information on activities relating to mine victim assistance
in Form I of its annual Article 7 transparency
report.[47]
[1] Interview with Rashida Al-Hamadani,
Secretary of National Mine Action Committee, Sana’a, 13 November
2002. [2] See Article 7 reports
submitted on 10 April 2003 (for the period 27 April 2002-10 April 2003); 27
April 2002 (for the period: 8 September 2001-27 April 2002); 18 September 2001
(for the period: 14 November 2000 to 8 September 2001); 14 November 2000 (for
the period: 30 November 1999 to 14 November 2000); 30 November 1999 (for the
period: 4 December 1997-30 November
1999). [3] See previous Landmine Monitor
Reports for more details on past use and importation of
mines. [4] For more details, see
Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p.
522. [5] Yemen initially kept 1,000 each
of PMN, POMZ-2, PMD-6, and
PP-Mi-Sr-2. [6] Article 7 Report, Form
D, 10 April 2003. Yemen used 60 of each of the four types retained. This is
the first time it has reported use of retained
mines. [7] Interview with Mansoor
Al-Ezzi, Director, Yemen Executive Mine Action Center, Sana'a, 11 March
2002. [8] Al-Mahweet was the only
governorate declared mine-free. See Survey Action Center/Vietnam Veterans of
America Foundation, “Landmine Impact Survey: Republic of Yemen,”
Washington DC, October 2000. [9] UN,
“Portfolio of Mine-Related Projects 2003,” October 2002, p.
258. [10] Interview with Faiz Mohamed,
Quality Assurance Advisor/Trainer, UNDP, Sana’a, 13 July 2003; “Mine
Action Report 2002: First in Mine Action” brochure, December
2002. [11] These figures were compiled
from the UN Mine Action Investments Database and other Landmine Monitor Report
2003 country reports. [12] Interview
with Faiz Mohamed, Quality Assurance Advisor/Trainer, UNDP, Sana’a, 4
January 2003. [13] Yemen Executive Mine
Action Center, “Annual Report
2002.” [14] Interview with Rashida
Al-Hamadani, NMAC, 13 November 2002. This resolution is a revision of
Resolution No. 46 (1998), which authorized the Minister of Cabinet Affairs to
lead the work of the NMAC and further regulate its modes of operation and
agenda. The ministries added are Information, Agriculture, Public Works and
Urban Development, and Environment. [15]
UN, “Portfolio of Mine-Related Projects 2003,” p.
257. [16] Interview with Faiz Mohamed,
UNDP, Sana’a, 5 January 2003. [17]
Interview with Ali A. Raqeeb, Director of Operations, NMAC, Sana’a, 5
January 2003. [18]
Ibid. [19] Interview with Faiz Mohamed,
UNDP, Sana’a, 5 January 2003. [20]
Interview with Mohamed Abobaker, Director, Mine Awareness Department, Regional
Mine Action Center, Aden, 15 January
2003. [21] Interview with Aisha Saeed,
Programme Officer in charge of Aden Office, Rädda Barnen, Aden, 16 January
2003. [22] Muzna Al-Masri and Aisha
Saeed, Rädda Barnen and Yemen Mine Awareness Association, “Report on
Participatory Review of Mine Awareness Education in Yemen,” January 2003,
p. 3. [23] Ibid, pp.
16-18. [24] YMAA collects reports of
mine incidents through the media, security authorities, sheiks, and villagers.
Survivor assistance staff also collects data while interviewing mine
survivors. [25] Nasser Arrabyee,
“Riyadh pledges $2m for Yemen demining drive,” Gulf News, 2 October
2002. [26] Fax to YMAA from Al Nadra
local council, Ebb governorate, 12 July
2002. [27] Interview with Kaid Thabet,
Deputy Director, Victim Assistance Department, National Mine Action Program,
Aden, 25 January 2003. [28] See Landmine
Monitor Report 2002, p. 525. [29] For
details see Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp.
993-994. [30] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2002, p. 526. [31] Yemen Mine
Action Center, “Annual Report 2002;” interview with Kaid Thabet,
National Mine Action Program, 25 January
2003. [32] ICRC, “Annual Report
2002,” Geneva, June 2003, pp.
323-324. [33] Telephone interview with
Mansoor Al-Ezzi, Director, YEMAC, Sana'a, 29 March
2003. [34] ICRC Physical Rehabilitation
Program, “Annual Report 2002,” Geneva, June
2003. [35] Minutes of the National Mine
Action Committee, 30 July 2002. [36] See
Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p.
526. [37] Handicap International Belgium
(HIB), “Activity Report 2002,” Brussels, 10 June 2003, p.
26. [38] Interview with Laila
Bashumaily, Director of Special Needs Center and Supervisor of HIB Prosthetic
Workshop, Aden, 15 January 2003. [39]
HIB, “Activity Report 2002,” 10 June 2003, p.
26. [40] See Landmine Monitor Report
2002, p. 526. [41] Interview with Suad
Al-Hibishi, Program Officer, Rädda Barnen, Sana’a, 23 January
2003. [42] Interview with Tania Nelson,
Director of Community Based Rehabilitation Project, ADRA, Sana’a, 23
December 2002. [43] Interview with
Nasser Hizam, Public Relations, Movimondo, Sana’a, 24 December
2002. [44] For details see Landmine
Monitor Report 1999, pp. 869-870. [45]
See Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p.
527. [46] Information provided by Ehab
Mohamed Salem, Chairperson, Aden Association for the Physically
Disabled. [47] Article 7, Form I, 10
April 2003.