Yemen: demining training and mentoring

Yemen has been plagued by military conflicts including civil wars in the 1960s and 1990s that resulted in widespread explosives and landmine contamination across the country. In 2011 the conflict between the internationally recognised government and Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis, has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Extreme poverty and insecurity, as well as escalating regional crises, have increased the threat of conflict in Yemen. According to the UN, 17 million people face severe hunger—projected to hit 18 million by September 2025. Over one million children under five suffer acute malnutrition, risking lifelong physical and cognitive damage.

“Sometimes you would see a soldier yelling at displaced people, asking why they’re living in a contaminate house and telling them to go somewhere safe, but the people would respond that they simply have nowhere else to go”

Abdullah, Mechanical clearance team leader – Ta'iz

In 2022, a six-month truce represented a major step in the peace process. However, it also led to a 160 peer cent increase in landmine and explosives accidents. On average a child in Yemen was killed or injured by explosives every two days during that year. Frontline areas are particularly contaminated, with communities facing a lethal mix of unexploded ordnance, improvised explosive devices and traditional landmines.

Clearing landmines and explosives is a critical step toward ending the cycle of violence and enabling Yemen's recovery. Deadly remnants of war have left vast areas of farmland, water sources and communities contaminated, preventing families from rebuilding their livelihoods.

Our Work

Staff member dealing with unexploded ordnance in Ta'iz

HALO established operations in Aden in 2019 and in Taiz City in 2022. We work closely with YEMAC, the national mine action organisation, to clear landmines and other explosives on a large scale so families can return home. We also provide training and mentoring to YEMAC staff and conduct survey on land and communities to fully understand the extent of contamination.

HALO operations have expanded to include explosive ordnance disposal, destroying items which pose a threat to communities and educating community members on explosives risk and safety. HALO conducts these activities safely in heavily populated urban areas while also addressing traditional minefields in rural communities through manual and mechanical clearance.

Our teams in Ta'iz use armoured mechanical clearance to remove explosive hazards in the city centre. High levels of destruction in densely populated areas demand an innovative approach to humanitarian mine action. Using adapted plant machinery, our teams can remove debris from damaged buildings while dealing safely with unexploded ordnance. As of July 2025, our teams had destroyed over 7,000 explosives and cleared over 2.1 million square meters across the country, the equivalent to 300 football pitches.