Yemen
Country Spotlight
Yemen has been embroiled in political crisis since 2011, with civil war breaking out in 2015. The country has been a member in good standing of several international disarmament agreements. However, Yemen’s current instability, which has given safe haven to several Islamist terror organizations, poses grave proliferation and terrorism concerns.
See Yemen's preformance in
Region Middle East and North Africa
~300 Scud missiles stockpiled in 2015
233,000+ Civilians killed in the conflict so far
160+ Houthi missiles intercepted by Saudi Arabia
Nuclear
- Not known to have ever pursued a nuclear weapons program
- Has expressed interest in developing nuclear power, but ongoing conflict has prevented this
- Drafted laws relating to a civil nuclear program with the IAEA in 2007
Overview of the Nuclear Disarmament Resource Collection
Biological
- Not known to have ever pursued a biological weapons program
- Since 2016, has been experiencing the worst cholera outbreak in modern history
- Conflict and blockades have made medical equipment difficult to access
Tutorial on Biological Weapons Nonproliferation
Yemen Overview
Missile
- Possesses Soviet Scud ballistic missiles and North Korean Hwasong ballistic missiles
- Most Yemeni missiles were seized by Houthi rebels after the start of the civil war
- Ongoing civil war has been marked by extensive ballistic missile use by all parties
Tutorial on Missiles and Other WMD Delivery Systems
Overview: Applying New Tools to Nonproliferation: A Nuclear Detective Story
Chemical
- Subjected to chemical weapons use by Egypt during the North Yemen Civil War (1963-1967)
- Not known to have ever pursued a chemical weapons program
- Passed legislation in 2014 to strengthen domestic chemical regulations
Tutorial on Chemical Weapons Nonproliferation
NTI Tutorials
Treaties and Regimes Memberships
- NTI
- CNS
Analysis
Yemen
Middle East Missile Mania: It’s Not Just Iran
One might be forgiven for solely focusing on Iran’s missiles. And yet, Iran’s missile program does not exist in a vacuum.
Yemen Overview
NTI Nuclear Materials Security Index: Building a Framework for Assurance, Accountability and Action
Education Center