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Viewing cable 09SANAA1537, GOOD NEWS FROM YEMEN: PROGRESS IN DEMINING

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09SANAA1537 2009-08-18 09:37 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Sanaa
VZCZCXYZ0009
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHYN #1537/01 2300937
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 180937Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2593
UNCLAS SANAA 001537 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/ARP AMACDONALD AND PM/WRA DHADRICK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM PREL KHDP YM
SUBJECT: GOOD NEWS FROM YEMEN: PROGRESS IN DEMINING 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  On August 9, PolOff observed the 
destruction of 2985 landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) 
in a ceremony organized by the Yemeni Executive Mine Action 
Committee (YEMAC), which is responsible for implementing one 
of the world's most successful mine action programs.  Since 
1999, YEMAC has cleared more than 679 square kilometers of 
contaminated land in Yemen, significantly reducing casualty 
rates and making land available for herding, farming, 
irrigation, and other vital economic activity.  This 
impressive accomplishment has been made possible by more than 
$14 million in USG support over the past decade.  Continued 
USG support for YEMAC will not only help the ROYG achieve its 
goal of being mine-impact free by 2014, but will build 
goodwill among Yemeni officials and citizens, advancing U.S. 
humanitarian and counter-terrorism interests.  END SUMMARY. 
 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
2. (U) Yemen is contaminated with landmines and unexploded 
ordnance (UXO) as a result of four different conflicts: 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 along the border between the 
former North and South Yemen, and the 1994 civil war.  A 
survey conducted in 2000 determined that there were a total 
of 592 mine-impacted communities in Yemen, contaminating 
approximately 922 square kilometers in 18 of 21 governorates. 
 Most landmines were laid during the latter two conflicts 
along the former North-South border and in the southern 
governorates, with Hadramaut governorate the most 
contaminated.  (Note:  Since fighting broke out in 2004 
between Houthi rebels and government forces in the northern 
governorate of Sa'ada, there have been credible reports of 
the use of landmines by the Houthis, though no survey has 
been conducted to assess the nature or extent of the problem. 
 End Note.) 
 
3. (U) The ROYG allocates about $3.5 million annually for 
mine action, which is carried out by the Yemeni Executive 
Mine Action Committee (YEMAC) under the leadership of Colonel 
Mansour Al-Azi.  YEMAC is staffed by soldiers seconded from 
the Engineering Forces of the Ministry of Defense (MOD). 
They receive an incentive of 450 riyals (roughly $2.50) per 
day for this dangerous work.  In the past decade, 16 deminers 
have suffered casualties. 
 
4. (U) Human suffering and economic loss due to landmines and 
UXO are significant.  In the past decade, there have been 
over 5000 registered landmine/UXO casualties in Yemen, with 
2560 victims killed and 2344 injured.  Landmines and UXO 
hinder economic activity by blocking access to lands for 
grazing and agriculture, water sources for drinking and 
irrigation, and roads for travel to markets.  They also 
impede infrastructure and social development projects.  For a 
poor country where only 2.6 percent of land is arable, 
ensuring that once-mined areas are safe and accessible to the 
local population is essential for economic growth and social 
welfare. 
 
IMPRESSIVE RESULTS 
------------------ 
 
5. (U) YEMAC,s mine action program is one of the ROYG's few 
success stories.  By the end of 2008, the total estimated 
suspected hazardous area had dropped to 215 square kilometers 
(down from 922).  By mid-2009, YEMAC had removed a total of 
274,455 landmines/UXO from across the country.  Clearance had 
been completed in all 14 communities highly affected by 
landmines/UXO, except for three minefields that are 
permanently marked as dangerous because they cannot be 
cleared with existing technology.  Additionally, clearance 
had been completed in 75 of the 86 medium-impacted 
communities, with mine action currently occurring in six 
others.  The governorates of Aden, Hajja, Dhamar, Sana'a, and 
Hudaydah were declared mine-impact free in 2007.  The 
national landmine/UXO casualty rate has dropped to one per 
month.  YEMAC was rated in the top three of 16 mine action 
programs evaluated by the UN.  By making land available for 
grazing, beekeeping, and agriculture, and by providing 
villagers with safe access to water sources and markets, the 
UN concluded that, in Yemen, the economic benefits of mine 
action actually exceed the costs of demining.  This progress 
in mine action is even more impressive given the scope of 
Yemen's landmine/UXO problem and the difficulty posed by its 
harsh deserts and rugged mountain terrain. 
 
EXPLOSIVE EVENT 
--------------- 
 
6. (U) On August 9, PolOff observed the destruction of 2985 
landmines and UXO (which had been collected over the previous 
eight months) in a ceremony organized by YEMAC in a desert 
area in Lahj governorate, about a half-hour northeast of 
Aden.  The items destroyed included 985 shells, 15 
anti-personnel mines, 3 anti-tank mines, 444 missiles, 93 RPG 
rounds, and 1344 fuses and detonators.  Chairman of the 
National Demining Committee Ahmed Qassim al-Ajam, Governor of 
Lahj Muhsen Ali Al-Naqib, and other notables attended the 
event.  (Note: No other foreign diplomats were present.  End 
Note.)  YEMAC demolition experts destroyed mines and UXO in 
eight successive detonations over a period of approximately 
10 minutes.  Following the destruction, Naqib thanked the USG 
and other donors for their support. 
 
A DECADE OF USG SUPPORT 
----------------------- 
 
7. (U) The USG has provided nearly $14 million towards mine 
action in Yemen since FY 1997.  (Note:  The Department of 
State has provided $8.98 million in NADR funding for 
technical survey, clearance, and mine risk education, while 
the Department of Defense contributed $4.69 million for 
training and equipment.  End Note.)  This aid has helped 
YEMAC establish and equip demining companies, carry out 
landmine/UXO risk education, and provide medical assistance 
to victims.  The current focus of U.S. aid is to replenish 
equipment that wears out quickly in Yemen's harsh climate and 
terrain. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
8. (SBU) The ROYG's mine action program is one of the few 
good news stories emerging from Yemen, and USG support has 
been vital to its success.  YEMAC's staff is highly trained 
and professional, they take evident pride in their work, and 
they are grateful for sustained USG support since YEMAC's 
inception in 1998.  (Note:  During the 2000 attack on the USS 
Cole, U.S.-trained Yemeni demining troops were the first on 
the scene, and worked tirelessly to aid U.S. sailors.  End 
Note.)  Continued USG support for mine action in Yemen will 
not only help the ROYG achieve its goal of being mine-impact 
free by 2014, but will also build goodwill among Yemeni 
officials and citizens, advancing U.S. humanitarian and 
counter-terrorism interests in a high-priority country.  END 
COMMENT. 
SECHE