YEMAC_UNDP
Project History
Text:
During the past 30 years, Yemen has witnessed a number of conflicts, each of which left behind a significant number of mines and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW). Before their 1990 unification, North and South Yemen were two countries that were separated by a border.
Civil War lasted in the North from 1962 through 1970. During the 1970s, there were three short border wars between the North and the South. After the 1990 unification, the border became meaningless; but what remained of the border was a mined belt that ran through the heart of the country.
Landmine Impact Survey
In 2000, a Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) found that 36,000 Yemeni lives were highly impacted by landmines and ERW, while 581 communities were classified as medium or low impact. Nearly 600 communities, encompassing a population of 791,400, still suffer from the impact of landmines and ERW daily.
The exact number of mines/ERW casualties is not known, but the Landmine Impact Survey estimates the number over the past 40 years to be as high as 5,000. Many of these casualties are believed to have involved women and children who were engaged in farming or grazing, which are the main activities affected by landmines in the rural areas of Yemen.
Project History
Mine Action in Yemen began in 1997 with assistance from the United States government. A year later, a Prime Ministerial decree created the National Mine Action Committee (NMAC) to address the issue of mine contamination in Yemen. During the same year, the Yemen Executive Mine Action Center was established and began implementing mine action projects. American Mine Action Educators provided staff training during this phase. As a result of their assistance, 188 de-miners, course instructors and dog handlers began working, and all new de-miners since 1998 have been trained by Yemeni instructors.
YEMAC and UNDP
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) began its support of YEMAC in 1999. While UNDP continues to provide support, in October 2003, the program transitioned from United Nations execution to national execution. During the relatively short period since its creation in 1997, the program has made signifi-cant progress in eliminating the impact of land-mines/ERW in the Republic of Yemen.
De-mining and Victims Assistance
More than 100 affected communities had been freed from the impact of landmines/ERW by the end of 2004. Additionally, two complete governates, Aden and Howdaida, have been declared mine-free. More than 1,000 mine survivors have been given medical support within the country as well as abroad, and Mine Risk Education (MRE) has been provided to more than 400,000 men, women and children who live in affected communities. Before the start of the pro-gram, an average of 27 casualties occurred every month. By 2006, as a result of the project’s effort, that number was reduced to two to three. By 2007, it was further reduced to one to two casualties per month.
Project History
Text:
During the past 30 years, Yemen has witnessed a number of conflicts, each of which left behind a significant number of mines and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW). Before their 1990 unification, North and South Yemen were two countries that were separated by a border.
Civil War lasted in the North from 1962 through 1970. During the 1970s, there were three short border wars between the North and the South. After the 1990 unification, the border became meaningless; but what remained of the border was a mined belt that ran through the heart of the country.
Landmine Impact Survey
In 2000, a Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) found that 36,000 Yemeni lives were highly impacted by landmines and ERW, while 581 communities were classified as medium or low impact. Nearly 600 communities, encompassing a population of 791,400, still suffer from the impact of landmines and ERW daily.
The exact number of mines/ERW casualties is not known, but the Landmine Impact Survey estimates the number over the past 40 years to be as high as 5,000. Many of these casualties are believed to have involved women and children who were engaged in farming or grazing, which are the main activities affected by landmines in the rural areas of Yemen.
Project History
Mine Action in Yemen began in 1997 with assistance from the United States government. A year later, a Prime Ministerial decree created the National Mine Action Committee (NMAC) to address the issue of mine contamination in Yemen. During the same year, the Yemen Executive Mine Action Center was established and began implementing mine action projects. American Mine Action Educators provided staff training during this phase. As a result of their assistance, 188 de-miners, course instructors and dog handlers began working, and all new de-miners since 1998 have been trained by Yemeni instructors.
YEMAC and UNDP
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) began its support of YEMAC in 1999. While UNDP continues to provide support, in October 2003, the program transitioned from United Nations execution to national execution. During the relatively short period since its creation in 1997, the program has made signifi-cant progress in eliminating the impact of land-mines/ERW in the Republic of Yemen.
De-mining and Victims Assistance
More than 100 affected communities had been freed from the impact of landmines/ERW by the end of 2004. Additionally, two complete governates, Aden and Howdaida, have been declared mine-free. More than 1,000 mine survivors have been given medical support within the country as well as abroad, and Mine Risk Education (MRE) has been provided to more than 400,000 men, women and children who live in affected communities. Before the start of the pro-gram, an average of 27 casualties occurred every month. By 2006, as a result of the project’s effort, that number was reduced to two to three. By 2007, it was further reduced to one to two casualties per month.