Key developments since May 2005: Yemen elaborated its views on key
matters of interpretation and implementation related to Articles 1 and 2 of the
Mine Ban Treaty, taking strong positions mirroring those of the ICBL and many
other States Parties. Area reduction through technical survey released more
than 100 square kilometers of mine-affected and suspected land in 2005.
Clearance operations released another 1.8 square kilometers. One deminer was
killed during clearance operations. In March 2006, a socioeconomic and
livelihood study was started to assess the socioeconomic returns from mine
clearance. Mine risk education reached 191,262 people in 92 communities during
2005. Casualties doubled in 2005, compared to 2004. Several survivor
assistance and disability organizations withdrew from Yemen in 2005-2006, and
national organizations faced funding difficulties.
Mine Ban Policy
The Republic of Yemen signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December 1997, ratified
it on 1 September 1998, and it entered into force on 1 March 1999. On 16
December 2004, the Yemeni Parliament endorsed national implementation
legislation and on 20 April 2005, Presidential Law No. 25 was issued to bring
the ten-article law into force.[1]
Yemen submitted its eighth Article 7 transparency report on 3 May 2006,
covering 30 March 2005 to 30 March
2006.[2]
Minister of State Kassim al-Aggam, Chairperson of the National Mine Action
Committee, led Yemen’s delegation to the Sixth Meeting of States Parties
in Zagreb, Croatia in November-December 2005. Yemen made statements during the
General Exchange of Views and the session on victim assistance. Yemen also
attended the meetings of the intersessional Standing Committees in Geneva in
June 2005 and May 2006, making presentations on mine clearance and victim
assistance.
Yemen elaborated its views on key matters of interpretation and
implementation related to Articles 1 and 2 in a letter to Landmine Monitor in
April 2006, and again during the intersessional meetings in May 2006. It
articulated strong positions mirroring those of the ICBL and many other States
Parties.
Regarding the issue of joint military operations with non-States Parties as
it relates to the prohibition to “assist” in Article 1, Yemen stated
that, “one cannot participate in any activity related to the use of
antipersonnel mines and should reject any rules of engagement permitting use of
antipersonnel mines and refuse orders to use them, and reject participation in
any joint operation if their military forces derive any military benefit from
use of antipersonnel mines, and should not provide security or transportation
for AP mines.” It also supported the view that the Mine Ban Treaty
prohibits the transit “of antipersonnel mines across, or the foreign
stockpiling of anti-personnel mines on, territory under jurisdiction or control
of a State Party.”[3]
Regarding the definition of antipersonnel mine in Article 2, Yemen stated
that it supports the view that, “any mine even if it is called an
antivehicle mine equipped with a sensitive fuse or sensitive antihandling device
that causes the mine to explode from an unintentional act of a person is
considered to be an antipersonnel mine and therefore
prohibited.”[4] It also
informed States Parties that it does not currently and did not in the past
possess any antivehicle mines with sensitive
fuzes.[5]
Yemen is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.
Production, Use, Stockpiling and Transfer
Yemen has stated that it has never produced antipersonnel mines. The last
reported mine use by government forces was in 1994. Yemen completed destruction
of its stockpile of 74,000 antipersonnel mines on 27 April 2002. The Army does
not possess Claymore-type mines.[6]
In November 2000, Yemen announced its intent to retain 4,000 antipersonnel
mines for training and research purposes under Article 3 of the treaty. Each
year since 2003, Yemen has reported that it has used 240 of the retained mines
for the training of mine detecting dogs, but it has not subtracted this from the
total number reported in its Article 7 report, indicating that the mines are not
consumed (exploded) during the training.[7] Yemen’s view on Article 3 is that, “the number of mines
retained for research and training should vary from country to country depending
on the level of landmine contamination. We suggest that it should be between
4,000 to 10,000 mines but should not be greater than 10,000 mines under no
circumstances.”[8]
Yemen has not reported in any detail on the intended purposes and actual uses
of its retained mines―a step agreed by States Parties in the Nairobi
Action Plan that emerged from the First Review Conference in December 2004. It
did not use the new expanded Form D for reporting on retained mines that States
Parties agreed to at the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in December 2005.
Yemen has stated that it has never exported antipersonnel mines. However, an
October 2005 report to the UN Security Council by the UN arms embargo monitoring
group for Somalia asserted that, “a well-placed source with intimate
knowledge of the affairs of the [Transitional Federal Government] confirmed that
[Somali] President Yusuf and the Chief of Staff, General Naji, had negotiated a
deal with the Government of Yemen for the delivery of large numbers of arms and
a variety of ammunition, including...mines and hand
grenades....”[9] The material
was apparently transferred between 2 and 10 July 2005 by an aircraft of the
Yemeni Air Force.[10] The report
does not specify if the mines were antipersonnel or antivehicle. A reply from
Yemen to the UN monitoring group acknowledged the transfer of “5,000
personal weapons” and other equipment such as uniforms and food supplies,
but did not mention landmines.[11]
In a letter to Landmine Monitor, the government of Yemen denied that it had
provided any antipersonnel mines to Somalia and gave assurances of its strong
commitment to the Mine Ban
Treaty.[12]
A May 2006 report by the monitoring group said that in August 2005, traders
at the Bakaraaha arms market in Somalia reportedly purchased mines and other
arms from a Yemen arms trading
network.[13]
Previously, a 2003 report by a UN panel of experts said that landmines had
been shipped from Yemen (and Ethiopia) to
Somalia.[14] After a request from
Landmine Monitor for clarification of this matter, Yemen responded: “We
absolutely deny that our government, or any official representation in it, has a
hand in sending any land mines to
Somalia.”[15]
Mine and UXO Problem
Yemen is contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO), as a result
of several conflicts, including the 1962-1975 war in the north between
republicans and royalists, the 1963-1967 war of independence in the south, the
1970-1983 war against left-wing guerrillas, and the 1994 separatist war. Most
of the mines were laid in border areas between northern and southern Yemen and
in the southern
governorates.[16]
According to the Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) conducted in 2000, a total of
592 villages in 19 of the country’s 20 governorates were
mine/UXO-affected.[17] As of April
2006, as a result of survey and clearance operations, 12 high-impact
communities, 62 medium-impact communities and 107 low-impact communities had
been declared free from the threat of mines and UXO, and were released to the
communities. The LIS identified that approximately 828,000 Yemenis (six percent
of the population) were affected by
mines.[18] In its Article 7
reports, Yemen noted that between 2000 and 2004, several new mine/UXO-affected
areas were discovered.[19]
The landmine and UXO problem is said to have had an impact on infrastructure
development (such as roads, schools and hospitals), denying people access to
economic opportunities. Also, access to critical resources including water,
grazing land and arable land (which is only 2.6 percent of the country) has been
reduced by the presence of mines and UXO. As a result, the government is
reportedly unable to implement social development projects within these affected
communities.[20] In 2005, most
mine/UXO incidents occurred in the governorates of Ibb, al-Dale, al-Bayda and
Lahij.[21]
Mine Action Program
National Mine Action Authority: The National Mine Action Committee
(NMAC), established in 1998, is chaired by the Minister of State and includes
the deputies of the ministries of defense, interior, health, information,
education, and planning, as well as the prime minister’s office. NMAC
established mine awareness and victim assistance committees, as well as working
groups on the same topics to assist with planning and
evaluation.[22] NMAC is said to
have met four times in 2005; however, no major decisions were
taken.[23]
There is no specific mine action law in Yemen. NMAC and the Yemen Executive
Mine Action Center (YEMAC) were created by decree in 1998. During 2005,
national mine action standards, adapted from International Mine Action Standards
(IMAS) were adopted by YEMAC and approved by
NMAC.[24]
National Mine Action Center: The Yemen Executive Mine Action Center
is in charge of implementing plans and policies approved by NMAC. YEMAC
headquarters are in Sana’a with regional branches in Aden and al-Mukalla
(Hadramawt).[25]
Yemen’s mine action program has been supported by the UN Development
Programme (UNDP) since 1999. The UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
executed the first phase of the project (1999-2003), while the second phase
(since October 2003) aimed to strengthen national capacity for mine
action.[26] The second phase was
due to be completed at the end of 2006, followed by a third phase from 2007 to
2009.[27] UNDP supports YEMAC with
one chief technical advisor and three national staff.
Strategic Planning and Progress
Mine action plans are drafted by YEMAC, in consultation with UNDP and NMAC.
The National Mine Action Strategic Plan for 2001-2005, based on the LIS results,
was extended in June 2004 to cover the period
2004-2009.[28] The revised
strategic plan aimed to eliminate the impact from landmines and UXO by the end
of March 2009.[29] The 2004-2009
program was budgeted at around US$13 million in addition to an estimated $3
million per year required from the Yemeni
government.[30] From 1 April 2009
onward, the government committed to using only national human and financial
resources to eradicate the remaining mine and UXO
problem.[31]
The 2004 revised strategic plan called for the clearance of all communities
classified as high- and medium-impact and 27 percent of the most critical
low-impact areas (147 square kilometers) by March
2009.[32] In May 2006, Yemen stated
that the goal by 2009 was to “clear, fence or mark all hazard areas that
present a threat to people, economic and social livelihood of
communities.”[33] According
to the mine action plan, Yemen would release 83 square kilometers in 2005, 93
square kilometers in 2006, 95 square kilometers in 2007, 97 square kilometers in
2008 and 98 square kilometers in
2009.[34]
YEMAC has adopted a “cluster clearance approach” to deal with
impacted areas, focusing not only on high-impact communities, but also on
medium- and low-impact communities clustered close to each other. This has
allowed for a greater reduction of risk among communities from the same cluster,
but with different levels of
impact.[35]
Clearance tasks in Yemen are principally centered on small minefields, where
due to terrain conditions (hillsides and gullies) full clearance units (54
deminers) cannot be deployed simultaneously. However, shortage of explosives
and lack of destruction facilities remained problematic in 2005 and through
2006.[36]
To achieve its objectives, YEMAC planned to increase the number of technical
survey teams from seven to 14; establish additional quality assurance teams to
follow-up and support clearance operations; restructure four clearance units
into smaller, independent platoons by providing equipment and medical support;
and introduce one-person/one-lane clearance procedures to allow more flexibility
and increase clearance output and
safety.[37]
The restructuring was planned to start in 2004; however, due to a lack of
funds, it was rescheduled for the following
year.[38] In 2005, YEMAC trained
five technical survey teams that became operational in February 2006, bringing
to 12 the total number of technical survey teams available in 2006. In 2005, of
the four clearance units that YEMAC had planned to restructure, only two units
had been restructured into six logistically independent
platoons.[39] In 2005, the US
Department of State supported the restructuring of the demining units by
donating demining equipment and vehicles worth $720,000 to YEMAC. Also, eight
additional dogs (to replace older dogs) were trained in 2005 and became
operational at the beginning of 2006; corresponding dog handlers, set leaders, a
veterinarian and instructors were also trained during the
year.[40]
In 2006, YEMAC planned to train two more technical survey teams and to
restructure two more demining units into six logistically independent platoons.
YEMAC planned the release of 93 square kilometers in 2006 through survey and
clearance operations. If financial requirements and expansion plans are met,
Yemen believed that by the end of 2006, YEMAC’s maximum capacity will be
in place.[41]
A revision of the mine action strategy is planned for March 2007. The
revision will be based on the results of a “surveillance system”
that YEMAC started implementing in May 2006. One survey team composed of five
surveyors has been conducting impact and technical survey in the remaining
medium- and low-impact communities, in order to reassess and re-evaluate data
from the LIS. Using this technique, YEMAC hopes to reduce the size of suspected
mined areas. Based on the results of the updated survey data and the size of
the mine suspected and affected land, Yemen’s strategic mine action plan
will be revised.[42]
YEMAC houses the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA). In
2005, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) found
that maps produced from IMSMA had too poor a resolution for safe and efficient
use in mine action; it recommended they be replaced with a countrywide set of
digitized maps of higher resolution.[43] Installation of version 4 of IMSMA, which includes a full-feature
Geographic Information System, was scheduled for the end of
2006.[44]
A YEMAC internal review in 2004 found that, “the cooperation between
the IMSMA and Operation Departments is poor and needs to be improved and
strengthened. The result of this is that the reports generated are inconsistent
and not useful either for planning or for
monitoring/evaluation.”[45] YEMAC reported in May 2006 that coordination between the Operation
Departments and IMSMA had been improved by establishing systematic reporting
between both departments.[46]
Evaluations of Mine Action
An evaluation of Phase 2 of UNDP support to the mine action program in Yemen
was conducted in April 2005 by GICHD. The report concluded, “that
significant progress had been achieved in mine action and that the YEMAC has an
organizational structure capable of addressing all components of a mine action
program.” The evaluation also highlighted several gaps, such as the lack
of training of YEMAC staff, the lack of munitions destruction facilities and the
need to enhance post-clearance community
rehabilitation.[47]
YEMAC reported in 2006 that it had initiated a socioeconomic and livelihood
study to assess the overall socioeconomic returns from mine clearance investment
through a livelihood analysis of 50 landmine impacted communities now cleared
from mines and UXO. The study also aims to enhance the capacity of YEMAC to
conduct future assessments of socioeconomic benefits from mine action. YEMAC is
conducting the study in conjunction with GICHD and the Natural Resource
Institute of London.[48]
In December 2005, five staff from YEMAC attended the Mine Action Middle
Manager’s course in Amman, Jordan. Another 20 YEMAC staff enrolled in
English language classes in 2005 and 2006. YEMAC’s head of information
management was due to attend the Senior Mine Action Manager’s Course at
James Madison University in the US in May-June
2006.[49]
Summary of Efforts to Comply with Article 5
Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Yemen is required to destroy all
antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as
possible, but no later than 1 March 2009.
The goal of Yemen’s 2005-2009 strategy is to ensure “all
communities classified as high and medium impact, and 27 percent of the most
critical low-impacted areas (147 square kilometers) are cleared by the end
of March 2009.” This is not in full compliance with the requirements of
the Mine Ban Treaty. However, depending on the results of the surveillance
system undertaken in 2006, YEMAC’s director expressed cautious hope that
the strategy could be revised so as to comply fully with Yemen’s Article 5
obligations.[50] Fencing of mined
and mine-suspected areas, as has been done in Yemen, is only an interim step
towards the destruction of all antipersonnel mines in mined areas, as required
by Article 5.
Demining
Mine clearance in Yemen is undertaken by the Engineering Department of the
Ministry of Defense with staff seconded to
YEMAC.[51] In 2005, before the
extra capacity added in 2006, there were eight mine clearance units, seven
technical survey teams, 19 mine detecting dog teams (each with two dogs and one
handler), three quality assurance teams, and one monitoring and evaluation team.
Each of the eight clearance units was composed of 27 pairs of
deminers.[52]
Identification of Mined Areas: Surveys and Assessments
The 2000 LIS identified 1,078 mined areas covering a surface area of 923
square kilometers, mainly in the center and the south of the country. The LIS
had initially identified 14 high-impact communities, 84 medium and 494
low-impact communities.[53] In
2002, two additional mine-affected communities were identified, bringing the
total of medium-impact communities to 86 and the total number of affected
communities to 594.[54]
During 2005, technical survey covered almost twice as much as in 2004,
amounting to 103,535,656 square meters of suspected areas. As a result,
1,798,958 square meters were marked to await clearance, and 101,736,698 square
meters were released to the
population.[55] In 2004, technical
survey was conducted on 69,341,351 square meters of suspected land, resulting in
the cancellation of 66,729,660 square meters, marking of 2,593,407 square
meters, and the reduction of another 18,284 square meters
.[56]
Technical survey is carried out using manual and mine detecting dog
methods.[57] The technical survey
bases itself on information provided by the LIS. Once a survey team has been
tasked to survey a known or suspected mined area, the technical survey team
starts gathering detailed information from landmine survivors, former
military personnel and the local population to determine the exact area that the
local population believed was mined and thus reduce the size of the area.
According to YEMAC, this phase has helped to reduce the size of the suspected
areas by a significant amount in most cases, from 50 up to 90 percent. There
were, however, also some cases where the actual suspected area is larger than
the LIS estimate.[58]
In the second stage, the survey teams reduce further and verify the actual
size of the suspected mined area by “quickly” checking and searching
the area with dogs to determine the exact boundaries of the minefield. The
dogs are said to be very fast in area reduction and verification. Once the
minefield boundaries have been marked and mapped, small minefields (that is,
those smaller than 10,000 square meters) are cleared by the survey teams
while larger minefields are handed over to clearance units for further
clearance.[59]
Marking and Fencing
In 2005, YEMAC marked minefields that could not be cleared with the current
technology. As a result of shifting sand in some desert locations, landmines
have sunk further below the surface, in some cases up to two meters in depth.
High mineral levels and large numbers of metal fragments make metal detectors
ineffective. Such areas could not be cleared with existing technology and
therefore have been marked by laying red painted stones and planting mine signs
along the perimeter. Mechanical clearance equipment was tested in Yemen in
2005, in the areas where clearance operations had to be suspended, but the tests
did not achieve positive results.
Other demining techniques were to be tested during 2006, according to
YEMAC’s director, and based on the results, YEMAC will start marking more
permanently or fencing those areas.[60] In 2005, two high-impact and two low-impact areas were marked off,
covering a total area of 290,212 square
meters.[61] At least one area was
marked off with metal poles and rope placed around it, while the remainder were
marked with red and white stones around the
perimeter.[62]
Mine and UXO Clearance
In 2005, the mine action program cleared 1,629,888 square meters of mined
areas, destroying in the process 75 antipersonnel mines and 30 antivehicle
mines. A total of 5,797 items of UXO were cleared, but only 5,092 were
destroyed, due to lack of explosives.[63] YEMAC explained that the shortage of explosives and the lack of demolition
stores noted in previous years had been partially overcome by using explosives
donated for trial by a Swiss company.[64] In addition, while training YEMAC staff in 2005, the US Army destroyed
some 3,900 UXO left from clearance operations in previous
years.[65]
In 2004, the program had cleared 2,743,437 square meters of mined areas,
including 464 antipersonnel mines, 203 antivehicle mines and 10,594
UXO.[66] Thus, productivity for
2005 represented a decrease of 1.11 square kilometers. YEMAC explained that
clearance teams had moved to more difficult clearance sites such as mountainous
or desert areas (where sands and dunes shift) or sites where the use of metal
detectors is harder. Also, operations were suspended for one month while
clearance teams received refresher training in April
2005.[67] In its Article 7 report
of April 2006, Yemen noted that the number of mines cleared is low because
demining units are re-clearing according to humanitarian standards areas
previously cleared by army
personnel.[68]
However, combined clearance and survey operations in 2005 released more than
103 square kilometers of mine-affected and suspected land, 20 square kilometers
more than YEMAC’s plans for the year. In 2005, clearance and technical
survey operations were conducted in Ibb, al-Dale, Sana’a, Lahij, Abyan,
Hadramawt and Dhamar.[69]
According to YEMAC, from the program’s start in 1999 to May 2006, 315
square kilometers out of the total of 922 square kilometers of contaminated land
were surveyed and cleared. As a result, 607 square kilometers of suspected land
remained to be surveyed and cleared.[70] At the Standing Committee meetings in May 2006, Yemen stated that at the
end of 2005, “all high, 59 medium and 73 low impacted communities are
freed.”[71] However, Yemen
considers impacted communities where clearance has had to be suspended as
“freed.”
Landmine Monitor, based on Yemen’s April 2006 Article 7 report,
calculated that 12 high-impact communities have been completed (demining
operations were undertaken in 11 communities, and one community was cancelled as
being not affected). Demining in the two remaining high-impact communities in
al-Dale governorate was suspended because of inadequate technology to conduct
clearance in those areas.
A total of 62 medium-impact communities have been released (survey and
clearance operations demined areas affecting 50 communities, and areas affecting
another 12 communities were cancelled as being not affected). In 2006, demining
work was ongoing in five medium-impact communities.
Also from 1999 to May 2006, 107 low-impact communities were released (52
following clearance and survey and 55 were cancelled as being not affected).
Demining in 11 low-impact communities was ongoing as of April 2006 and clearance
in two low-impact communities in al-Dale and Aden governorates was suspended
because of a lack of adequate
technology.[72]
LIS impacted communities’ status at 30 March
2006[73]
Community
Status
Cleared/
surveyed
Cancelled
Suspended and fenced
Ongoing
Left
Total
High
11
1
2
0
0
14
Medium
50
12
0
5
19
86
Low
52
55
2
11
374
494
Total
113
68
4
16
393
594
Aden and al-Hudaydah governorates were declared free of mines in 2004, and
Hajjah and Sana’a governorates should soon be declared free of mines as
well. Areas cleared are mostly roads and lands used for agriculture and
pasture.
In 2005, five quality assurance teams sampled 10 percent of demined areas
before handover to local authorities. There is also a YEMAC two-person
monitoring and inspection team that visits field sites once a month to check
compliance with national standards and standing operating procedures, including
MRE.[74]
Mine detecting dogs and manual clearance are used during clearance, technical
survey and quality assurance.[75] Cleared land is handed over through small celebrations attended by local
authorities, and YEMAC hands them a certificate. YEMAC believes that the land
is used after clearance, but does not have any concrete data. The socioeconomic
and livelihood study that was initiated mid-March 2006 will give more
indications on the use of cleared land by the
communities.[76]
Monitoring or re-evaluation of the remaining communities identified as
contaminated by the LIS through YEMAC’s surveillance system started in May
2006 in Hadramawt governorate, which contains 343 of the remaining 607 square
kilometers of mine-suspected
areas.[77]
A deminer was killed in October 2005. Investigation by YEMAC resulted in the
strengthening of standing operating
procedures.[78] NMAC pays
compensation to injured deminers and to the families of deminers
killed.[79]
Mine Risk Education
As in previous years, organizations involved in mine risk education (MRE) in
2005 were YEMAC and the NGO, Yemen Mine Awareness Association
(YMAA).[80]
In 2005, YEMAC had 19 MRE staff. YEMAC’s MRE team was originally
trained by US Army MRE specialists. Ten newly recruited MRE staff were trained
during 2005, eight of them women, in order to be able to better target women and
girls. They were trained by existing YMAA trainers and by YEMAC’s MRE
department. YMAA reported 15 staff
members.[81]
In 2005, YEMAC continued to provide MRE ahead of demining operations in
mine-affected villages in Sa’ada, Ibb, al-Dale, Ta’izz, Abyan and
Lahij. A total of 191,262 people were reached in 92 villages in eight
governorates. From the start of the MRE program in 1997 to December 2005, 358
villages received MRE and 640,583 people were exposed to some form of basic MRE
message.[82] Reduction in civilian
casualties by 80 percent since the LIS was completed in 2000 has been attributed
to MRE.[83] However, in 2005, there
was a substantial increase in the number of casualties.
YMAA received 10 reports from communities during the reporting period; two
were on mine/UXO accidents and eight on mine/UXO finds in villages. YMAA
forwarded the reports to the regional YEMAC in Aden. The reports led to
clearance and to registering the victims in order to provide for
assistance.[84]
YEMAC has a two-person monitoring team that visits field sites once a month
to check compliance with national standards and standing operating procedures,
including MRE.[85] During 2005,
national mine action standards excluding MRE were adopted by YEMAC; it was
planned to develop standards for MRE in
2006.[86]
YMAA’s MRE activities in four governorates (Ibb, al-Dale, Lahij and
Hadramawt) continued until the end of June 2005 with funding from
Japan.[87] YMAA worked in close
coordination with YEMAC following its national plan based on LIS data and
updates from previous years. YMAA targeted influential community leaders such
as sheiks, imams and local council members. It also focused on groups
considered at risk, including farmers, shepherds and children. Fifty-eight
villages were provided with MRE in 2005, thus surpassing the original target of
44 villages. YMAA submitted detailed reports to
YEMAC.[88]
In May 2005, YMAA produced and printed 20,000 copies of a new MRE poster
concerning unsafe behavior.[89] During the reporting period, YMAA also produced three newsletters
highlighting national, regional and international events, and providing mine/UXO
survivors with a voice to air their concerns. The material was developed by
YMAA’s designing team in cooperation with YEMAC’s regional center in
Aden.[90] Draft material was field
tested in targeted mine-affected communities and schools during MRE
sessions.[91]
By June 2006, YMAA had not received new funding to continue its
MRE-activities in support of YEMAC. However, it received a grant of $3,000 from
Mines Action Canada for a Youth Empowerment Project to carry out MRE in two
governorates.[92]
One female member of YMAA participated in the Engaging the Youth workshop in
Beirut from 16-20 January 2006, supported by Mines Action Canada. The main
focus of the NGO training workshop was how to encourage youth involvement in
humanitarian mine action
activities.[93]
Funding and Assistance
Six governments reported contributing approximately $2,458,864 to mine action
in Yemen in 2005, a small decrease from 2004 when Yemen received $2,641,075 from
eight donors.[94] Donors reporting
contributions in 2005 were:
Canada: C$373,910 ($308,634), consisting of C$140,020 ($115,576) to UNDP for
demining, and C$233,890 ($193,058) to UNDP for technical survey
assistance;[95]
France: €250,000 ($311,225) to UNDP for
YEMAC;[96]
Germany: €284,196 ($353,796) to UNDP for running costs of the YEMAC
mine detecting dog
program;[97]
Italy: €140,000 ($174,286) to UNDP for mine
action;[98]
Japan: ¥61,322,770 ($556,923), consisting of ¥55,673,170
($505,614) to YEMAC for mine clearance, and ¥5,649,600 ($51,309) to the
Yemen Association for Landmine and UXO Survivors (YALS) for
equipment;[99]
US: $754,000, consisting of $750,000 from the Department of State for YEMAC
equipment and supplies, and $4,000 from the Department of
Defense.[100]
By May 2006, Yemen had received mine action funding contributions and pledges
from six countries and UNDP totaling over $2 million for 2006. However, UNDP
reported a critical funding shortfall for the Yemen Association for Landmine
Survivors’ survivor reintegration project, which had not received any
contributions or pledges for
2006.[101]
Landmine Casualties
In 2005, there were at least 35 new mine/UXO casualties in Yemen. After
years of a relatively constant casualty rate, this is a significant increase
compared to 17 casualties (nine killed and eight injured), including 15
children, in 2004.[102] In 2005,
YEMAC recorded 23 mine/UXO casualties; including six people killed and 17
injured in eight antipersonnel mine, one antivehicle mine and four UXO incidents
in Aden, al-Bayda, al-Dale, Ibb, Lahij and Sana’a governorates. Twelve of
those involved in incidents were children under 18 (six girls and six boys); 11
were adults (one woman and 10
men).[103] Two casualties were
military and 21 civilian.[104] Landmine Monitor recorded three more incidents killing three people and
injuring nine, including three
Britons.[105]
Reported casualties in 2005 included a 20-year-old man injured by an
antipersonnel mine in Rida (al-Bayda) on 16 March. On 28 March, a UXO incident
killed two adults and injured one 14-year-old. In April, a British major was
killed, and two British officers and two Yemenis were injured when a landmine
exploded in a rugged area north of
Aden.[106]YEMAC said this
incident report was incorrect as Aden had been declared mine-free in
2004.[107]On 8 April, five girls
were injured while herding their sheep, when an antipersonnel mine exploded in
Damt (al-Dale).[108] The area was
marked with white signs, which the girls thought meant it was
safe.[109] However, according to
YEMAC, white signs mean that survey teams had marked the area for
demining.[110] YEMAC added that
(to March 2006) no mine incidents had been reported in cleared land in
al-Dale.[111] On 1 July 2005, one
man was injured by an antipersonnel mine in al-Had (Lahij). On 14 July, two
people were killed and three others injured in an antipersonnel mine explosion
in al-Shuaib (al-Dale). On 26 July, a 22-year-old YEMAC deminer was injured
during clearance operations in Bani Bahlol
(Sana’a).[112] On 13
August, a YEMAC deminer was killed in a landmine accident in Jabal Hurwah on the
outskirts of Sana’a.[113] On 30 October, an antipersonnel mine explosion in al-Dale killed one man,
and injured one woman and four
men.[114]
Casualties continued to be reported in 2006, with at least 15 casualties as
of 29 May 2006. YEMAC recorded two killed and seven injured in one antivehicle
mine and four UXO incidents. All the casualties were male and none of them were
children.[115] Landmine Monitor
recorded one additional incident leading to six casualties. On 14 January, one
person died and five, including two women, were injured when two landmines
exploded in al-Shuaib
(al-Dale).[116]
It is possible, however, that not all mine casualties are reported,
especially if people are killed or injured in remote areas. YEMAC has stated
that, “landmine casualties are nearly always reported on a regular basis
from various sources such as local clinics/hospitals, the Ministry of Public
Health and Population (MoPHP), Ministry of Local Administration (MLA), and
security personnel, though there is no formal nation-wide surveillance system in
place.” YEMAC plans to expand its surveillance system to make it
nationwide in 2006.[117]
YEMAC maintains casualty data in its IMSMA database. Between 2000 and 2005,
YEMAC has recorded 264 new mine/UXO casualties, including 89 herders, 37
farmers, 20 house workers and 118 others; this category contains mainly child
casualties.[118] However, it is
estimated that there are approximately 2,900 mine/UXO survivors in
Yemen.[119] Women and children
are most vulnerable during their daily chores (herding, collecting wood and
fetching water), even if they are aware of the
risks.[120]
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) recorded 16 mine survivors,
including one woman and 15 men, in 2005 via its community-based work; none of
these were recent
casualties.[121]
As of January 2006, 1,357 of 1,779 survivors identified by the LIS in 480
villages had been interviewed as part of the Yemen victim assistance
program.[122]
Survivor Assistance
At the First Review Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, Yemen was identified as one
of 24 States Parties with significant numbers of mine survivors and “the
greatest responsibility to act, but also the greatest needs and expectations for
assistance” in providing adequate services for the care, rehabilitation
and reintegration of survivors.[123] As part of its commitment to the Nairobi Action Plan, Yemen prepared its
2005-2009 objectives for the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in Zagreb. The
objectives included: developing a nationwide landmine surveillance system
(2006); providing and financing emergency and ongoing medical care, as well as
physical rehabilitation, for 2,000 survivors by 2009; evaluating and finding
ways to improve health infrastructure, rehabilitation services and coordination,
starting in 2006; determining what counseling services are needed and can be
established; establishing six new vocational training centers and economically
reintegrate 500 survivors by 2009; and implementing the strategic plan for
people with disabilities.[124]
At the Standing Committee for Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic
Reintegration in May 2006, Yemen presented progress in fulfilling its 2005-2009
objectives, but the delegation did not include a victim assistance expert.
Yemen stated that survivors’ needs and requirements will be integrated in
the strategies of the relevant ministries, and that victim assistance is well
integrated and coordinated with some ministries, but less so with
others.[125]
Yemen provided information on mine victim assistance activities in its
Article 7 report for 30 March 2005-30 March
2006.[126]
The final report of the GICHD evaluation mission to Yemen in April 2005
concluded that, “The Yemen Landmine/UXO Victim Assistance Programme ... is
probably one of the most advanced in the world. Success can be attributed to a
combination of high-level Government support, qualified and dedicated staff, a
well-defined strategic approach, and strong support by the YEMAC Programme
Manager.”[127] As a
follow-up measure to the GICHD recommendations, in 2006 YEMAC started a
socioeconomic study of communities that have benefited from clearance and victim
assistance activities, in cooperation with GICHD and the Natural Resource
Institute of London.[128]
However, a field visit by Landmine Monitor in April-May 2005 found a lack of
coordination, exclusion of mine survivors from some services, employment
difficulties and insufficient
transport.[129]
The revised and extended Mine Action Strategic Plan for 2004-2009 defines
survivor assistance as one of the
priorities.[130] The mine action
program covers all medical and rehabilitation costs of landmine survivors,
including artificial limbs, and has developed a limited economic reintegration
capacity through vocational training and assistance in establishing small
businesses; however, survivor assistance is the smallest component of the mine
action program.[131] Within the
mine action program, landmine victim assistance is coordinated and implemented
by YEMAC through the Victim Assistance Department and monitored by NMAC. In
some cases, the centralized YEMAC management reportedly makes obtaining
independent funding for disability-related projects more difficult for some
NGOs.[132] As of 2006, YEMAC did
not work together with or provide financial support to victim assistance
NGOs.[133]
The Victim Assistance Advisory Committee (VAAC), comprised of various
ministries and NGOs, was established to assist with the planning and evaluation
of victim assistance activities. However, the committee was called upon
“only when needed” and had no decision- or policy-making
capacity.[134]
The Yemen Landmine Victim Assistance Program includes four phases: visits to
all mine survivors, medical and physical examination to determine needs and
treatment, providing medical care and rehabilitation, and socioeconomic
reintegration. As of January 2006, files had been opened on 1,357 landmine
survivors. In 2005, 42 people were visited, 429 people were examined by doctors
and specialists, including 69 women, under phase three of the program, and 458
survivors received medical and rehabilitative support; 71 survivors received
prostheses, 35 received physiotherapy treatment, 31 received hearing aids, 76
received eye glasses, 26 received wheelchairs and 42 underwent surgery
(including eye surgery). The program continued in
2006.[135]
In 2005, the government provided approximately $108,000 to the Yemen Landmine
Victim Assistance Program. Japan donated $181,000 in September 2004 of which
$150,000 was used for the socioeconomic reintegration phase. The UN provided
additional funding. This resulted in an earmarked (and spent) victim assistance
budget of approximately $260,000 or 11 percent of the total budget allocated via
the UN ($2,420,366).[136]
Health facilities are limited in most regions in Yemen, especially in rural
areas where there are health clinics, but adequately trained staff, essential
medicines, transport and other necessary facilities are sometimes lacking. The
healthcare system is very centralized and specialized services are only
available in the main cities. Services are further hampered by structural
problems, a lack of coordination and low salaries for medical staff. The World
Bank was reported to be working with the government to improve management
capacity at the Ministry of Public Health and Population and with service
providers.[137]
The Ministry of Public Health and Population (MoPHP) was scheduled to
evaluate the health infrastructure, equipment and resources in 2006, and
identify means to improve these as well as coordination functions. Sana’a
and other major cities such as Aden and Ta’izz have hospitals with
surgical units capable of handling landmine injuries including amputations.
Through the work of the Victim Assistance Department, all mine/UXO casualties
reportedly have access to first aid, with the average evacuation time to reach a
first aid clinic around 30 minutes. Transport is also provided to the nearest
major hospital where surgery and other advanced facilities are available within
one to two hours.[138] However,
many mine survivors live in remote mountainous villages and face difficulties in
accessing services.[139] MoPHP
provides free medical and rehabilitation treatment for mine casualties; the
department covers the costs of medicine and mobility
devices.[140]
The General Hospital in Aden receives some survivors sent by YEMAC and has a
physiotherapy unit for outpatients. The unit, with four physiotherapists, was
not functioning to its full capacity in 2006, since the withdrawal of the
expatriate advisor, previously provided by Movimondo and Handicap International
(HI). Between 13 and 29 March 2006, 60 mine/UXO survivors from Aden governorate
received medical check-ups at the hospital, and nine underwent surgery, 11
received prostheses, five received crutches, 19 received glasses, four were
given hearing aids and 12 received
wheelchairs.[141] Since 11 May
2006, 51 survivors from Alimalah district in Lahij with eye and amputation
problems were referred to al-Gomhurriya hospital for check-ups, as Aden General
Hospital is closed for renovation. Three patients were referred for
prostheses.[142]
When necessary, mine survivors requiring specialized treatment are sent
abroad. In 2004 and 2005, two mine/UXO survivors—a 16-year-old boy and a
13-year-old girl—received specialized treatment in Italy; a third
10-year-old survivor was scheduled to leave in May 2006 after being on the
waiting list for almost two years.[143] Other landmine survivors have also received treatment abroad in the past,
through NGOs or bilateral
aid.[144]
Landmine survivors nearly always have access to rehabilitative care, provided
by the major hospitals and the MoPHP prosthetic centers in Sana’a, Aden,
Ta’izz, al-Hudaydah and al-Mukalla. However, there are few rehabilitation
workers in mine-affected areas, as it is felt that there is no need for such
expertise at the community level. Efforts have been coordinated up to a certain
level between government actors; the MoPHP has planned to undertake a needs
assessment in 2006.[145]
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) assists MoPHP’s
National Artificial Limbs and Physiotherapy Center in Sana’a and
al-Mukalla center in the remote Hadramawt governorate, with technical advice and
the supply of raw materials, components, equipment and on-the-job training for
prosthetic/orthotic technicians. In 2005, more than 7,000 people received
physical rehabilitation services (1,025 through ICRC assistance) in the two
centers (5,000 in Sana’a and 2,000 in al-Mukalla). The center in
Sana’a fitted 198 prostheses (18 for mine survivors) and 724 orthoses
(none for mine survivors). In al-Mukalla, 69 prostheses (two for mine
survivors) and 550 orthoses were provided. In 2005, ICRC also subsidized the
training of four prosthetic/orthotic technicians at Mobility India in Bangalore,
in addition to the two who started training in
2004.[146] It was scheduled that four more would start the same 30- to 36-month
course in July 2006. In 2004, women were discouraged from attending al-Mukalla
center, but this issue was solved in 2005. People assisted at the centers pay a
nominal sum, never exceeding $20, but 50 percent of people are treated free of
charge.[147] Patients pay $2 for
five physiotherapy sessions.[148] In 2005, the MoPHP approached ICRC with a request for support for the
centers in Ta’izz and Aden (previously run with support of Handicap
International, starting in 2006; the request was under consideration as of May
2006.[149]
Handicap International supported two physical rehabilitation centers in
Ta’izz and Aden in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social
Affairs (MoLSA) and MoPHP. The Ta’izz center was completely nationalized
in January 2005 and functions without ad hoc support from HI; the Aden
center was handed over on 31 December 2005. The centers charge a fee determined
by the social workers.
In 2005 and 2006, the Aden center assisted on average 700 people per
month.[150] In 2005, the workshop
produced 1,018 devices, including 105 prostheses, 646 orthoses, 238 crutches and
29 walking aids. Mobile teams regularly visited health services in Aden
governorate to facilitate access to orthopedic devices for people in remote
areas.[151] In April and May
2006, YEMAC referred seven mine survivors to the center for
prostheses.[152] The final
evaluation of the Aden center concluded that the technicians “have all the
necessary competencies” and that they will be able to maintain quality
services under the supervision of the national
coordinator.[153] In order to
ensure the financial sustainability of the center, a cost-recovery system was
launched in January 2005, but because most patients pay nominal fees, it is
hoped that YEMAC and international organizations will cover the costs of the
patients they refer.
MoPHP and MoLSA declined to take on the responsibility of running the Aden
center, and as a result the center is managed by the Vocational Rehabilitation
Center for People with Special Needs with financial support from the Social Fund
for Development. The center will apply Yemeni salary scales and provide
incentives only when the funding situation allows; this will likely lead to a
“high risk that staff will leave as soon as a better opportunity
arises.”[154] The
center’s supply of raw materials was scheduled to run out by June 2006 and
no financial support for the provision of materials had been identified. At
YR10,000 ($57), the price of a prosthetic limb in Aden is reportedly lower than
those in other centers: Ta’izz YR 20,000 ($114), al-Mukalla YR28,000
($160) and Sana’a YR 40,000
($228).[155]
In 2005, the greatest achievement of the Ta’izz center was to remain
sustainable. However it was not able to operate to its full capacity since the
withdrawal of HI, and suffered from managerial and financial difficulties, as
MoPHP only covers the salaries of the staff and raw materials, but not other
running costs. The staff suffer from a lack of motivation, as government
salaries are no longer supplemented with incentives. In 2005, 2,217 people were
assisted, including 30 mine survivors: 42 prostheses, 253 crutches and 1,049
orthoses and other mobility devices were
produced.[156] In 2005, HI also
trained physiotherapists in al-Kharaz refugee camp, between Aden and
Ta’izz. This has been taken over by the
CBR[157] Lahij Association in
2006.[158]
Until July 2005, the Italian NGO Movimondo’s program provided training
for Yemeni physiotherapists and nurses, with the support of the Italian
government in coordination with MoPHP, in two health institutes in Sana’a
and Aden. In Aden the project has been handed over to the ad hoc
supervision of MoPHP.[159]
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) operates the Physically
Challenged Project, focusing on the integration of person with disabilities in
their families and communities through economic growth opportunity and
community-based rehabilitation. In 2005, ADRA Yemen supported 1,101 (545
females and 556 males) people with disabilities, 11 of whom were mine survivors.
ADRA provided home care services to 375 people; referred 11 people for
prostheses; provided referral services for 96 other people with disabilities;
and provided seven pairs of crutches. Additionally, 37 people graduated from
the vocational training program; seven people were assisted in the development
of a micro-enterprise; and awareness-raising sessions were organized for 575
people. Ten previous graduates have been able to provide sustainable and
sufficient income. There is a waiting list due to financial, transportation and
human resources
constraints.[160]
In 2005, the programs were forced to scale down after the planned handover
and financing by MoLSA fell through, since a funding gap was expected in June
2006 with the end of the three-year Canadian funding support. The al-Hudaydah
community-based rehabilitation program operated in 2005 on minimum capacity with
three field staff and one vocational trainer, and the other projects have been
temporarily put on hold.[161] ADRA receives no funding through YEMAC or the
government.[162] In 2006, ADRA
prioritized staff capacity-building, focusing on management skills to enhance
the program’s
sustainability.[163]
In 2005, Rädda Barnen supported community-based rehabilitation
organizations in Aden, Lahij, Abyan and Ibb, working for the integration and
rights of people with disabilities. In November 2005, the four organizations
formed a coalition and began looking to include more disability
organizations.[164]
Psychological support is available at clinics in Sana’a and Aden, but
landmine survivors are not provided counseling services in the hospitals. YEMAC
has not dealt with psychological support issues and does not have the budget to
do so. Family is the support mechanism and counseling is not perceived as a
priority. Within the framework of the Nairobi Action Plan, Yemen aims to
provide economic rehabilitation for 500 mine survivors by 2009, by providing
training and establishing small enterprises. To achieve this aim, six
vocational training centers will be established in addition to the nine that
reportedly already
function.[165]
The Yemen Association for Landmine and UXO Survivors (YALS), created in 2004
by YEMAC to promote the socioeconomic reintegration of mine/UXO survivors,
provided courses in computers, administration and sewing to approximately 100
students. The first students graduated from the training program in May 2005;
48 beneficiaries obtained work by starting micro-businesses or as employees with
guidance from YALS. YALS also aimed to play an important role in advocacy and
awareness raising, selecting students from different mine-affected areas to
ensure greater awareness throughout
Yemen.[166] In 2005, the program
was supported by Japan ($150,000). However, the organization was not able to
secure funds for 2006 and worked at reduced
capacity.[167]
The Vocational Rehabilitation Center for People with Special Needs in Aden
provides vocational training courses of between six months and two years in
carpentry, office work, sewing, leatherwork, textiles and the production of
mobility aids and literacy classes. From January 2005 until 20 March 2006, 120
people with disabilities, including several mine survivors (for example, four in
April 2005), received vocational training and 65 were provided with a small loan
to start a business. Graduates are provided with loan of between YR1,200 and
YR12,000 (roughly $6.50 to $65.00); as of May 2005, 80 of 85 businesses
established have been successful. The carpentry workshop covers 65 percent of
the center’s costs. After HI’s departure in early 2006, the center
took on the responsibility of running the Aden Physical Rehabilitation Center,
which is in the same compound. The Social Fund for Development provides the
buildings, and the Disability Fund, MoLSA and the government of Canada have
provided funding.[168]
The Aden Association for the Physically Disabled (AAPD) lobbies for the
rights for people with disabilities, working with the Ministry of Education to
integrate disabled children into mainstream education, improve accessibility and
organize cultural events; it also provides vocational training, sports and
cultural activities. It includes landmine survivors among its members, but does
not work with other actors in survivor assistance. Between January 2005 and
March 2006, 10 youth were trained in computer skills and sewing, and 50 children
(33 male and 17 female) received preparatory classes to enter mainstream
education systems. The program has been funded by the Fund for the Care and
Rehabilitation of the Disabled (Disability
Fund).[169]
Other organizations that have been reported by Landmine Monitor as providing
services for people with disabilities include: Challenge Association for
Physically Disabled Women (CAPDW), which assists women with disabilities with
medical issues and through ongoing education projects and workshops; Arab Human
Rights Foundation (AHRF), which works to enhance awareness and implementation of
disability rights in Yemen, with a special focus on the empowerment and
reintegration of women; and the Iranian Red Crescent Society, which opened a new
70-bed medical center/hospital in Sana’a in
2004.[170]
Other organizations providing services for people with disabilities,
including physical rehabilitation, vocational training, sports and
awareness-raising, are al-Saleh Social Establishment, Islamic World Handicap and
Training Council, and the Yemeni Development Foundation. The Social Fund for
Development and the Disability Fund have provided services and funding to
approximately 60 organizations working with people with
disabilities.[171]
Many organizations working on survivor assistance or disability in Yemen have
experienced funding difficulties; reportedly, international NGOs are leaving for
this reason.[172] However, the
government of Japan was scheduled to sign a $435,000 agreement for the
rehabilitation of landmine survivors in
2006.[173]
Disability Policy and Practice
Yemen has legislation to protect the rights of all people with disabilities,
with benefits including welfare, rehabilitation, tax and tuition fee exemptions,
reduced public transport fees and equal (job) opportunities. There is a
national committee for people with disabilities chaired by the Prime Minister,
with members from various associations and ministries including
MoLSA.[174] The Ministry of Civil
Service and Procurement is in charge of providing suitable employment to
survivors, and government offices are required to employ five percent disabled
staff.[175] However, according to
several disability organizations and people with a disability, the laws are not
fully implemented and there is a lack of awareness concerning
disability.[176]
The Social Fund for Development (SFD), an independent body under the Prime
Minister, coordinates and finances disability projects. SFD mainly provides
services and expertise, but also implements projects when no other expertise is
available. In 2005, SFD included disability questions in the household budget
survey and proceeded to finance and implement the survey. In 2005, MoLSA asked
the World Bank and SFD to assist in developing the National Strategy for
Disability. The World Bank recommended undertaking a situational analysis
before drafting the strategy. This situational analysis and recommendations
will be presented in a workshop in the last quarter of
2006.[177] As one of the
objectives in the Zagreb Progress Report, Yemen stated it will implement the
strategy once it has been
approved.[178] The Social Fund
for Development has also been in contact with other countries and regional
bodies to develop regional disability initiatives.
The World Bank also implemented a Disability and Living Standard Study, in
which Yemen is one of three case studies; Georgia and Kenya are the other two.
This study will also be fed into the National Strategy for
Disability.[179]
The Rehabilitation Fund and Care of Handicapped Persons (Disability Fund),
under MoLSA, finances and facilitates services for disabled people, either by
directly assisting the disabled person or through disability organizations, NGOs
and village chiefs; the fund runs a referral system and finances the
distribution of mobility devices, and also provides material and technical
assistance to disability organizations and the Disabled
Union.[180]
Landmine survivors, and other people with a disability, receive an allowance
of YR1,000 (about $5.50) per month. However, this is insufficient for a
reasonable standard of living, according to NGOs working in the disability
sector and landmine survivors
themselves.[181]
[1] Article 7 Report, Form A, 3 May
2006. [2] Previous reports were
submitted: 7 April 2005, 30 March 2004, 10 April 2003, 27 April 2002, 18
September 2001, 14 November 2000 and 30 November 1999. [3] Presentation by Mansour al-Azi,
Director, Yemen Executive Mine Action Center (YEMAC), Standing Committee on
General Status and Operation of the Convention, Geneva, 12 May 2006; email from
Mansour al-Azi, YEMAC, 24 April 2006. [4] Presentation by Mansour al-Azi,
YEMAC, Standing Committee on General Status and Operation of the Convention,
Geneva, 12 May 2006; email from Mansour al-Azi, YEMAC, 24 April 2006. [5] Email from Mansour al-Azi,
YEMAC, 24 April 2006. [6] Interview with Mansour al-Azi,
YEMAC, Sana’a, 11 March 2002. [7] Article 7 Report, Form D, 3 May
2006, and earlier Article 7 reports. [8] Email from Mansour al-Azi,
YEMAC, 24 April 2006. [9] “Report of the
Monitoring Group on Somalia Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1587
(2005),” delivered to the President of the Security Council on 5 October
2005 (Ref. S/2005/625), para. 21, p. 13. [10] Ibid, para. 20, p. 12. The
report, on page 13, also notes some arms shipments occurred in August. [11] “Annex II: Response of
the Government of Yemen to the Monitoring Group (15 August 2005), Attachment II:
Efforts by the Yemeni Government to stabilize the situation in Somalia,”
contained in “Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia Pursuant to
Security Council Resolution 1587 (2005),” delivered to the President of
the Security Council on 5 October 2005 (Ref. S/2005/625), pp. 50-55. [12] Letter from Dr. Abdulla Nasher, Ambassador
of the Republic of Yemen to Canada, on behalf of the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, to Steve Goose, Landmine Monitor Ban Policy Coordinator, 24 July
2006. [13] “Report of the
Monitoring Group on Somalia pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1630
(2005),” Ref. S/2006/229, 4 May 2006, p. 49. [14] “Report of the Panel
of Experts on Somalia Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1474
(2003),” Ref. S/2003/1035, 4 November 2003, paras. 136-137, pp. 31-32. [15] Reply from the Government of
Yemen by Mansour al-Azi, YEMAC, 21 September 2004. See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, pp. 865-866. [16] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, pp. 866-867. [17] Survey Action Center and
Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (SAC/VVAF), “Landmine Impact
Survey: Republic of Yemen, Executive Summary,” October 2000, p. 3. [18] Telephone interview with
Faiz Mohammad, Chief Technical Advisor, UN Development Programme (UNDP)/YEMAC,
Sana’a, 21 June 2005. [19] Article 7 Report, Form C, 7
April 2005; Article 7 Report, Form C, 3 May 2006. [20] UN, “Country profile:
Yemen,” www.mineaction.org,
accessed 28 April 2006. [21] Telephone interview with
Faiz Mohammad, UNDP/YEMAC, Sana’a, 21 June 2005. [22] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, p. 868. [23] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Sana’a, 27 February 2006. [24] Email from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, 30 May 2006. [25] Interview with Ali Abdul
Raqeeb, Deputy Director, YEMAC, Sana’a, 12 June 2005; Geneva International
Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), “Mid-Term Outcome Evaluation for
Strengthening National Capacity for Mine Action in Yemen-Phase II,” 2005,
p. 8. [26] GICHD, “Mid-Term
Outcome Evaluation for Strengthening National Capacity for Mine Action in
Yemen-Phase II,” 2005, pp. 1-3; email from Mansour al-Azi, YEMAC, 3 August
2005. [27] Email from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, 30 May 2006. [28] GICHD, “Mid-Term
Outcome Evaluation for Strengthening National Capacity for Mine Action in
Yemen-Phase II,” 2005, pp. 4, 6. [29] Email from Mansour al-Azi,
YEMAC, 8 August 2005. [30] YEMAC, “Five year
national strategic mine action plan for Yemen, 2004-2009, Revised and
Extended,” June 2004, p. 2; UN, “2006 Portfolio of Mine Action
Projects,” New York, p. 423. [31] UN, “2006 Portfolio of
Mine Action Projects,” New York, p. 423. [32] Email from Mansour al-Azi,
YEMAC, 8 August 2005. [33] Presentation by Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and
Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 10 May 2006. [34] YEMAC, “Five year
national strategic mine action plan for Yemen, 2004-2009, Revised and
Extended,” June 2004, p. 4. [35] YEMAC, Mine Action Programme
Yemen, “2005 End Year Review,” YEMAC/UNDP, Sana’a,
undated. [36] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006. [37] UN, “2006 Portfolio of
Mine Action Projects,” New York, p. 425. [38] Presentation by Yemen,
Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action
Technologies, Geneva, 14 June 2005. [39] YEMAC, Mine Action Programme
Yemen, “2005 End Year Review,” YEMAC/UNDP, Sana’a, undated;
email from Faiz Mohammad, UNDP/YEMAC, 27 March 2006; interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006. [40] YEMAC, Mine Action Programme
Yemen, “2005 End Year Review,” YEMAC/UNDP, Sana’a, undated;
email from Faiz Mohammad, UNDP/YEMAC, 30 May 2006. [41] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006; presentation, Standing Committee on Mine
Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technology, Geneva, 10 May
2006. [42] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006. [43] GICHD, “Mid-Term
Outcome Evaluation for Strengthening National Capacity for Mine Action in
Yemen-Phase II,” p. 27; interview with Ahmed Yehia Alawi, IMSMA Director,
YEMAC, Sana’a, 13 June 2005. [44] Telephone interview with
Mansour al-Azi, YEMAC, 20 March 2006, and interview, Geneva, 12 May 2006; see
also “Information Management Overview,” www.gichd.ch, accessed 20
May 2006. [45] YEMAC, “Review Report
on Activities and Staffing for the Period January–December 2004,” p.
3. [46] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006. [47] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 617. [48] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006; email from Ted Paterson, Head, Evaluation
Section, GICHD, 16 May 2006. [49] YEMAC, Mine Action Programme
Yemen, “2005 End Year Review,” YEMAC/UNDP, Sana’a, undated;
interview with Mansour al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006. [50] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006. [51] Interviews with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Sana’a, 26 February 2006 and Geneva, 12 May 2006. [52] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006. [53] SAC/VVAF, “Landmine
Impact Survey: Republic of Yemen, Executive Summary,” October 2000, pp.
4-5. [54] Email from Mansour al-Azi,
YEMAC, 7 August 2005; UN, “2006 Portfolio of Mine Action Projects,”
New York, p. 423. [55] Email from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, 27 March 2006. [56] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 618. [57] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006. [58] Emails from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, 30 and 31 May 2006. [59] Ibid. [60] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006; emails from Faiz Mohammad, UNDP/YEMAC, 30
and 31 May 2006. [61] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006; see also Landmine Monitor Report
2005, p. 618. The size of the suspended four minefields are respectively:
Qarad (12,000 square meters), Jabook Khulah (4,030 square meters), al-Hankah
(251,682 square meters) and Ja’olah (22,500 square meters); emails from
Faiz Mohammad, UNDP/YEMAC, 30 and 31 May 2006. [62] Email from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, 31 May 2006. [63] Ibid, 27 March 2006. [64] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 619; interview with Mansour al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May
2006. [65] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006. [66] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 618. [67] Email from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, 27 March 2006. [68] Article 7 Report, Form G, 3
May 2006. [69] Email from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, 13 April 2006. [70] Presentation by Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and
Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 10 May 2006. According to the LIS, however,
mined areas were located over a total area of 923 not 922 square kilometers. [71] Ibid. [72] Article 7 Report, Form C, 3
May 2006. [73] Ibid. [74] GICHD, “Mid-Term
Outcome Evaluation for Strengthening National Capacity for Mine Action in
Yemen-Phase II,” 2005, pp.6, 8. [75] Email from Faiz Mohamad,
UNDP/YEMAC, 27 February 2006. [76] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006. [77] Presentation by Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and
Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 10 May 2006. [78] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006. [79] Email from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, 12 May 2006. [80] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 619, for details of MRE methodologies used. [81] Interviews with Aisha Saeed,
Chairperson, YMAA, Aden, 15 December 2005 and 5 March 2006; interview with
Nabeel Rassam, Director, MRE department, YEMAC, Sana’a, 21 March 2006.
MRE educators trained in 2005: YEMAC six women; YMAA two men and two women. [82] Email from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, 5 June 2006; YEMAC, “Annual Report 2005.” [83] Faiz Mohammad, “Mine
action in Yemen: an example of success,” Journal of Mine Action,
Vol.9.1, August 2005. [84] Interview with Aisha Saeed,
YMAA, Aden, 5 March 2006. [85] Interview with Nabeel
Rassam, YEMAC, Sana’a, 27 February 2006. [86] Emails from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, 30 May and 5 June 2006. [87] Ibid, 5 June 2006; see
Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 619. [88] Interview with Aisha Saeed,
YMAA, Aden, 15 December 2005. [89] Ibid, 1 May 2005. [90] YEMAC headquarters are in
Sana’a with regional branches in Aden and al-Mukalla (Hadramawt). [91] Interview with Gamal Abdul
Kader, Head of YMAA designing team, Aden, 25 Feb 2006. [92] Email from Aisha Saeed,
YMAA, Aden, 3 May 2006. [93] Interview with Aisha Saeed,
YMAA, Aden, 15 December 2005. [94] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 620. [95] Mine Action Investments
database; email from Carly Volkes, DFAIT, 7 June 2006. Average exchange rate
for 2005: US$1 = C$1.2115. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates
(Annual),” 3 January 2006. [96] France Article 7 Report,
Form J, 3 May 2006; CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form E, 6 October
2005. This contribution is assumed to have been made in 2004 but was first
reported in 2005. Average exchange rate for 2005: €1 = $1.2449, used
throughout this report. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates
(Annual),” 3 January 2006. [97] Germany Article 7 Report,
Form J, 27 April 2006; Mine Action Investments database. [98] Emails from Manfredo
Capozza, Humanitarian Demining Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, March
2006. [99] Emails from Kitagawa Yasu,
Japan Campaign to Ban Landmines (JCBL), March-May 2006, with translated
information received by JCBL from Multilateral Cooperation Department, 11 May
2005 and Non-proliferation and Science Department, 11 April 2006. Average
exchange rate for 2005: US$1 = ¥ 110.11. US Federal Reserve, “List
of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2006. UNDP reports a contribution
of $150,000 from Japan to YALS in 2005. Email from Faiz Mohammad, UNDP/YEMAC,
Sana’a, 27 March 2006. [100] USG Historical Chart
containing data for FY 2005, by email from Angela L. Jeffries, Financial
Management Specialist, US Department of State, 8 June 2006; email to Landmine
Monitor (MAC) from H. Murphey McCloy Jr., Senior Demining Advisor, US Department
of State, 10 July 2006. [101] Mine Action Support
Group, “MASG Newsletter-First Quarter of 2006,” Washington DC, 1 May
2006, p. 10. [102] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, pp. 620-621; Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 870. [103] Extract from YEMAC
database provided via email from Faiz Mohammad, UNDP/YEMAC, Sana’a, 27
March 2006. [104] Response to Landmine
Monitor VA Questionnaire by Fuad Derhim al-Shamery, Director, Victim Assistance
Department, YEMAC, Sana’a 18 March 2006. [105] The incidents identified
by Landmine Monitor as not recorded in the YEMAC database are: “Two
missing after battle,” Bath Chronicle (UK), 2 May 2005;
“Demining worker killed on mission,” Saba (Sana’a), 13
August 2005; and “Mine explosion in al-Dale,” al-Ayam, 30
October 2005. [106] “Two missing after
battle,” Bath Chronicle (UK), 2 May 2005. [107] Email from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, Sana’a, 27 March 2006. [108] Ibid, 14 August 2005. [109] “Injured girls get
comprehensive care and the doctors believe their condition is stable,”
al-Ayam, 13 April 2005. [110] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Sana’a, 26 April 2005. [111] Email from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, Sana’a, 27 March 2006. [112] Ibid, 14 August 2005. [113] “Demining worker
killed on mission,” Saba (Sana’a), 13 August 2005. [114] “Mine explosion in
al-Dale,” al-Ayam, 30 October 2005. [115] Email from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, Sana’a, 29 May 2006. [116] “One Person dead
and injury of five others of which two women in two AP explosions in
al-Shuaib, al-Dale Governorate,” al-Ayam, 14 January 2006. [117] “Final Report of
the Sixth Meeting of States Parties / Zagreb Progress Report,” Part II,
Annex V, “Victim Assistance objectives of the States Parties that have the
responsibility for significant numbers of landmine survivors,” Zagreb, 28
November-2 December 2005, p. 220. [118] Extract from YEMAC
database provided via email from Faiz Mohammad, UNDP/YEMAC, Sana’a, 27
March 2006. [119] Presentation by Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic
Reintegration, Geneva, 8 May 2006. [120] Email from Aisha Saeed,
Senior Program Officer, Rädda Barnen, Aden, 15 February 2006. [121] Response to Landmine
Monitor VA Questionnaire by Rachel C. Chandiru, Project Director, ADRA, Hays, 16
April 2006. [122] Email from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, Sana’a, 21 May 2006. [123] UN, “Final Report,
First Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the
Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel
Mines and on Their Destruction,” Nairobi, 29 November-3 December 2004,
APLC/CONF/2004/5, 9 February 2005, p. 99. [124] “Final Report of
the Sixth Meeting of States Parties / Zagreb Progress Report,” Part II,
Annex V, Zagreb, 28 November-2 December 2005, pp. 219-226. [125] Presentation by Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic
Reintegration, Geneva, 8 May 2006. [126] Article 7 Report, Form I,
3 May 2006. [127] GICHD, “Mid-Term
Outcome Evaluation for Strengthening National Capacity for Mine Action in
Yemen-Phase II,” 2005, p. 24. [128] Email from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, Sana’a, 27 March 2006. [129] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 622. [130] “Five Year National
Strategic Mine Action Plan for Yemen, 2004-2009,” revised and extended
June 2004. [131] Interviews with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Sana’a 1 May 2005, and Geneva, 12 May 2006.. [132] Interviews during field
visit to Yemen, 26 April-9 May 2005. [133] Email from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, Sana’a, 27 March 2006. [134] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006. Cooperation on victim assistance with ICRC,
UNICEF, ADRA, Movimondo and Rädda Barnen had ceased prior to May 2005;
cooperation with HI ceased at the end of 2005. For more information about the
VAAC, see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, pp. 622-623. [135] Email from Aisha Saeed,
Rädda Barnen, Aden, 27 March 2006; emails from Faiz Mohammad, UNDP/YEMAC,
Sana’a, 27 March 2006 and 21 May 2006. [136] Email from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, Sana’a, 27 March 2006. [137] Telephone interview with
Afrah al-Ahmadi, Head of Bureau, World Bank, Sana’a, 27 May 2006. [138] “Final Report of
the Sixth Meeting of States Parties / Zagreb Progress Report,” Part II,
Annex V, Zagreb, 28 November-2 December 2005, p. 220-222. [139] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 623. [140] Presentation by Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic
Reintegration, Geneva, 8 May 2006. [141] Email from Aisha Saeed,
Rädda Barnen, Aden, 27 March 2006. [142] Interview with Abubakr
Abbas, Victim Assistance Department, YEMAC, Aden, 20 May 2006. [143] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Geneva, 12 May 2006; Article 7 Report, Form I, 3 May 2006. [144] Interview with
Lou’a Adbu Hamid and Mukhtar Ahmed Salem, Aden, 27 April 2005. [145] “Final Report of
the Sixth Meeting of States Parties / Zagreb Progress Report,” Part II,
Annex V, Zagreb, 28 November-2 December 2005, pp. 222-223. [146] ICRC, “Physical
Rehabilitation Programme - Annual Report 2005,” Geneva, July 2006, p.
46. [147] Email from Martin
Amacher, Head of Delegation, ICRC, Sana’a, 21 May 2006. [148] Ibid. [149] ICRC, “Physical
Rehabilitation Programme - Annual Report 2005,” Geneva, July 2006, p. 46.
[150] Interview with Layla Abu
Bakr Bashumaila, Director, Vocational Rehabilitation Center for People with
Special Needs and Physical Rehabilitation Center, Aden, 21 May 2006. [151] Handicap International,
“2005 PRC Statistics,” (internal document), Brussels, 2 May
2006. [152] Interview with Layla Abu
Bakr Bashumaila, Vocational Rehabilitation Center for People with Special Needs
and Physical Rehabilitation Center, Aden, 21 May 2006. [153] Samar al-Yassir,
“Final External Evaluation: The Rehabilitation Center and Orthopedic
Workshop Aden, supported by Handicap International, Belgium,” Yemen,
December 2005, pp. 7, 9, 12, 16. [154] Ibid. [155] Interview with Layla Abu
Bakr Bashumaila, Vocational Rehabilitation Center for People with Special Needs
and Aden Physical Rehabilitation Center, Aden, 21 May 2006. [156] Email from Tawfeik
al-Kershy, Director, Physical Rehabilitation Center, Ta’izz, 8 May
2006. [157] CBR: Community Based
Rehabilitation Program. [158] Interview with Yassin A.
Wadood, Chairperson, CBR Coalition, Aden, 21 March 2006. [159] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 624. [160] Response to Landmine
Monitor VA Questionnaire by Rachel C. Chandiru, Project Director, ADRA, Hays, 16
April 2006; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 625 for details of
ADRA’s services. [161] Email from Nagi Khalil,
Country Director, ADRA, 20 January 2006. [162] Interview with Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Sana’a, 1 May 2005; interview with Nagi Khalil, ADRA, 1 May
2005; Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Rachel C. Chandiru, ADRA,
Hays, 16 April 2006. [163] Response to Landmine
Monitor VA Questionnaire by Rachel C. Chandiru, ADRA, Hays, 16 April 2006. [164] Interview with Yassin A.
Wadood, Chairperson, CBR coalition, Aden, 21 March 2006. [165]“ Final Report of the
Sixth Meeting of States Parties / Zagreb Progress Report,” Part I, Annex
V, Zagreb, 28 November - 2 December 2005, pp. 223-225. [166] Interview with Saleh
al-Dahyani, Director, YALS, Sana’a, 19 March 2006. [167] Email from Faiz Mohammad,
UNDP/YEMAC, 27 March 2006; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 625 for
details of YALS activities. [168] Interview with Layla Abu
Bakr Bashumaila, Vocational Rehabilitation Center for People with Special Needs
and Aden Physical Rehabilitation Center, Aden, 20 March 2006. [169] Interview with Nizer
Wasser, Secretary, AAPD, Aden 20 March 2006. [170] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, pp. 623, 626. [171] US Department of State,
“Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2005: Yemen,” Washington
DC, 8 March 2006. [172] Emails from Nagi Khalil,
ADRA, Sana’a, 26 March and 30 March 2006; email from Charles Debras,
Country Director (closure follow-up), HI, Aden, 8 May 2006. [173] Mohammed Bin Sallam,
“2 Million USD, a new Japanese donation,” Yemen Times, 2
March 2006. [174] “Final Report of
the Sixth Meeting of States Parties / Zagreb Progress Report,” Part II,
Annex V, Zagreb, 28 November-2 December 2005, pp. 225-226. [175] Presentation by Mansour
al-Azi, YEMAC, Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic
Reintegration, Geneva, 8 May 2006. [176] Interviews with Saleh
al-Dahyani and Saba Ali Ahmad al-Jiradi, YALS, Sana’a, 30 April 2005;
Mohammad Saleh and Faisal Amin, AAPD, Aden, 27 April 2005; Raja Abdullah
al-Masabi, AHRF, Sana’a, 2 May 2005. [177] Telephone interview with
Afrah al-Ahmadi, World Bank, Sana’a, 27 May 2006. [178] “Final Report of
the Sixth Meeting of States Parties / Zagreb Progress Report,” Part II,
Annex V, Zagreb, 28 November-2 December 2005, p. 225. [179] Telephone interview with
Afrah al-Ahmadi, World Bank, Sana’a, 27 May 2006. [180] Interview with Abdullah
al-Hamadani, General Manager, Disability Fund, Sana’a, 2 May 2005. [181] Interviews in Yemen, 26
April-9 May 2005.