Hodeidah: Providing critical vehicles to support demining efforts

Sana’a -Today the United Nations Development Programme provided our national partner, the Yemen Executive Mine Action Center (YEMAC), with 20 Hilux vehicles to support their daily demining efforts in the ports of Hodeidah, Ras al-Isa and Salif. The vehicles will be immediately dispatched to ensure the safety and security of the deminers as they work to safeguard the passage of desperately needed humanitarian aid for more than the 80 per cent of the Yemenis in need of assistance.

“Seventy per cent of Yemen’s imports and 80 per cent of humanitarian assistance passes through the ports of Hodeidah – they are absolutely crucial to commercial and humanitarian activities in Yemen,” says UNDP’s Resident Representative, Mr. Auke Lootsma. “UNDP’s efforts to support YEMAC’s productivity is critical – not only in the ports but throughout Yemen – to ensure the safety, security and well-being of the Yemeni people.”

The vehicle handover is the first of a larger vehicle procurement for YEMAC in both northern and southern Yemen. In total, UNDP has purchased 72 vehicles – including new field vehicles, trucks and ambulances – and equipment that will be evenly distributed in support of YEMAC’s country-wide operations to help ensure deminers are better equipped and better able to work within the challenging Yemen environment.

Today’s handover is a part of UNDP’s commitment to the Stockholm Agreement where the organization is playing a key role in the civilian component of its implementation – with a focus upon Mine Action, support to port operations, and recovery. “YEMAC’s work clearing the ports of Hodeidah – and UNDP’s role to ensure they are best equipped to do so – is vital to the future of the country and the welfare of the Yemeni people,” said Lootsma.

UNDP has supported humanitarian mine action efforts in Yemen since the mid-1990s with an emphasis in institution building, capacity development, technical assistance, operational support and resource mobilisation. Currently, UNDP works closely with YEMAC on clearance activities, unexploded ordnance destruction and is assisting in its overarching work.