Landmines have been laid in Yemen during conflicts since the 1960s, most recently during the 1994 separatist war. Most of the mines are in border areas between northern and southern Yemen, and in the southern governates, now affecting more than 400 communities. Before demining operations began, approximately 800,000 Yemenis, or 6 percent of the population, were affected by mines. Landmines and UXO have caused more than 5,000 casualties in the past decade and significantly restrict the population's access to the arid country's limited agricultural land.

Sources: To Walk the Earth in Safety, June 2006
Landmine Monitor Report, 2006