Taiz, Yemen, July 9, 2025 – Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) welcomes the announcement by the General Administration of Taiz Government Police in Yemen of a new plan to restrict the carrying and regulate the possession of weapons, aiming to establish “weapons-free zones” in Taiz. This declaration represents a critical step towards improving security and protecting civilians in a governorate deeply impacted by years of conflict.
“For too long, civilians in Taiz have lived under constant threat from sniper fire, rockets, random shootings, and mines,” said Dina El-Mamoun, CIVIC’s Yemen Country Director. “This plan to create weapons-free zones is an important move towards providing civilians the safety and dignity they deserve.”
In Taiz, the widespread presence of armed men in civilian clothes carrying AK-47s in public spaces such as markets and parks, as well as near sensitive sites including schools and hospitals, creates constant fear and danger for civilians. The weapons free zones aim to address this threat by designating crowded civilian areas where only uniformed military and security personnel are allowed to carry weapons, thereby contributing to safer access to education and healthcare facilities.
The announcement was made at an official event on July 6, attended by diplomatic representatives, international partners, military and security commanders and local government officials, reflecting broad support for improving civilian protection in Taiz. Nabeel Shamsan, governor of Taiz and the Head of Taiz Security Committee, pledged at the launch event to make the weapon free zones a success and set “a model for other parts of the country to follow.”
The action plan is the result of three years of collaboration between CIVIC and security and military forces in Yemen. CIVIC provided technical guidance throughout the process, facilitated extensive consultations, and supported workshops and planning sessions, including a 2023 workshop to develop the strategic framework and a 2024 CIVIC – supported event attended by several ambassadors, where implementation details were finalized. “Seeing the commitment of security and military forces to this plan motivates us to continue supporting its implementation,” said El-Mamoun.”Every life or limb spared as a result of this plan is worth all the efforts invested so far, and the work that lies ahead.”
CIVIC calls for all relevant authorities to ensure the swift and full implementation of the action plan and calls on donors to provide the necessary resources to realise its objectives. CIVIC will continue to work alongside partners to ensure these weapons-free zones effectively protect civilians and strengthen local security.
CIVIC in Yemen Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) has been working in Yemen since 2018 to strengthen the capacity of armed actors to uphold international humanitarian law and to support local communities in advocating for their own protection. Recently, CIVIC supported local communities protection groups working alongside with the military to reopen the crucial Sanaa – Al Dhali – Aden road, ensuring that civilian protection remained central to security arrangements.
In 2024, CIVIC supported 25 Community Protection Groups and trained over 280 military personnel on Protection of Civilians (POC) and Civilian Harm Mitigation (CHM) across six regions.
For additional information or media inquiries, please contact:
Hajer Naili, Director of Communications, [email protected], +31 6 21 69 68 86/ +1 917 889 5982 (WhatsApp)
CIVIC Communications: [email protected]
Spokespersons available for interviews in English, French, and Arabic.
