Yemen

Vessels calling at ports that are under the control of the Government of Yemen must continue to apply for entry permissions through the Yemeni Ministry of Transportation using the form: Entry Permission for Commercial and Relief Ships to Yemeni Ports. The form should be completed and sent by email to the Operations Unit of the Supreme Relief Committee at [email protected] no less than a week before the vessel’s entry/arrival.

Entry to Yemeni territorial waters will be granted only following an inspection by the naval forces of Saudi Arabian-led coalition. Once a vessel reaches the outskirts of Bab-el-Mandeb, some 3 n.m. from Yemen’s territorial waters, a notice of arrival must be called in by the Master on VHF Channel 16. The naval forces of the Saudi Arabian-led coalition will then advice where the vessel should anchor pending completion of the inspection and approval of the port entry. Once the vessel is permitted to enter port, the Master must register the vessel’s arrival with the port authorities (on VHF Channel 14 or 16) and will then be assigned an anchoring position until the berthing time is confirmed by the Harbour Master.

Ship operators are requested to add signed and stamped copies of the following documents to their clearance requests:

Security Level 1 has been declared for the ports of Aden and Mukalla. Any changes in security level will be posted on the Yemen Ports Authority (YPA) website www.portofaden.net/

Vessels proceeding to Yemen Red Sea port shall maintain keep their AIS operational throughout the duration of their voyage into and out of Yemeni Territorial waters.

Vessels are also requested to use the standard UN Locode on AIS.

There is a very high threat of kidnap from armed tribes, criminals and terrorists.

There is wide-spread foreign government advice against all travel to Yemen. This includes the mainland and all islands.

The security situation in Yemen continues to deteriorate. Due to increased risk, diplomatic staff of foreign embassies may have been withdrawn and the operations of some foreign embassies temporarily suspended. This means that the embassy isn’t able to provide consular assistance. As such, your national government may not be able to evacuate you if you remain in Yemen against their advice.

If you do choose to remain in Yemen you should minimise movement around the country and within cities and towns.

All international flights are currently direct through Aden International Airport. Airlines continue to monitor the situation closely and may delay or cancel flights with little or no notice. Check with your airline before you travel to the airport.

Emergency ambulance services are limited and often have attendants with little to no medical training. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services. Make sure you have adequate health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment and repatriation.

If you need emergency medical assistance, dial 191 and ask for an ambulance.

It is important to bring an adequate supply of prescription medications if required. While many prescription drugs are available in Yemen, quality control is uneven, and the particular drug may not be available.

Polio, malaria and dengue fever are common to Yemen.

Throughout the loading operation, military fast patrol boats will be constantly patrolling the area around the export tanker. Upon completion of loading, tankers will be escorted to a safe distance offshore by the military vessels and helicopter.

The proximity of attacks has spread and taken place off Kenya, Tanzania, Seychelles and Madagascar. Pirates are believed to be using mother vessels to launch attacks at very far distances from the coast, with some attacks taking place up to 600 n.m. from the coast. Two attacks occurred beyond the recommended Long. 060° E. Pirates have been known to operate in/near to positions 00° 43.70′ S, 061° 57.80′ E and 00° 29.00′ N, 063° 12.00′ E, approx. 1,000–1,100 n.m. east of Mogadishu.

Vessels are advised to keep more than 600 n.m. from the coastline and when routeing north/south, keeping east of Long. 60° 00′ E until east of the Seychelles.

In view of the recent attacks, all vessels are advised, when proceeding to/from South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Somalia to consider routeing south of Lat. 10° 00′ S and east of Long. 060° 00′ E, avoiding the area between the Somali coast and north and west of the Seychelles. A 24-hour visual and radar watch must be maintained as early sightings/detection and accurate assessment will allow Masters to take evasive action and increase speed, and at the same time request for assistance and escape.

Due to the unprecedented number of Somali pirate incidents, the IMB calls for all Masters transiting the Gulf of Aden, southern Red Sea, off Oman, east coast of Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Seychelles and Madagascar to report all sightings of suspected pirate mother ships to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre. This vital intelligence will then be used to identify and target the mother ships. This will enable appropriate action to be taken in response.

Within the VRA there is a high-risk area (HRA) as follows:

The IRTC includes the creation of eastbound and westbound transit lanes. Each lane has width 5.0 n.m. with a 2.0 n.m. buffer zone separating eastbound and westbound lanes. The IRTC has the following coordinates:

Group transits have been designed to put ships into different speed groups in order to exploit the additional protection and assurance of being in a group. The times for different groups to enter the IRTC are calculated that they pass through the area of statistically greatest danger, between long. 47° E and 49° E, at night and ensures that all ships, regardless of speed, are together at first light. This allows the military forces in the area to best position their assets in the area to protect ships against piracy and give assistance in case of attack.

Timing of transit groups as follows:

Masters of vessels using the IRTC, and those following group transits, are not relieved of their obligation and should continue to maintain a strict 24-hour lookout using all available means to get early warnings of an approaching threat.

Masters are also advised to maintain a listening watch on VHF Channels 16, 8 and 72. Warships make advisory calls, ``Securite'' broadcasts, to announce their location and in turn will also listen for merchant ships calling them.

Vessels are encouraged to report their positions by email or the UKMTO website eForms at 0800 UTC whilst operating in the UKMTO VRA. Reporting can also be done through MSCIO (see below).

The Voluntary Reporting Scheme (VRS) form can be obtained from Admiralty Chart Q6099 and in the annex of BMP5 (Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy and Enhance Maritime Security in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea).

The merchant VRS is established to increase security and provide anti-piracy support to maintain the freedom of navigation to all vessels in the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Merchant vessels operating in these areas are strongly encouraged to report and liaise with UKMTO (and/or MSCIO) whilst transiting the VRA. Any vessel, owner, operator or manager choosing not to report may delay any military assistance in the event of an incident as military assets may not be expecting the ship and valuable information may not be available.

The scheme is free to participate in, and vessels of any flag or ownership are invited to participate. All information is treated in strict commercial confidence and only used within military circles.

Submitted BMP Reporting Forms will be shared with the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO). Sharing this information encourages integration between maritime centres to combat piracy and other illicit activities at sea.

General T: +44 (2392) 222065. [email protected]

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) - Dubai: T: +971 50 189 8389.

Alternatively, the forms can be downloaded, filled in, and sent to [email protected] or F: +44 (1923) 956575.

Since 21 September 2014, alcohol has been routinely confiscated at international airports. You should dress modestly. Don’t drink alcohol in public.

Take care when using cameras anywhere near military or religious sites. Don’t take pictures of people without their consent.

You must get permission from the General Authority for Antiquities before exporting or removing antiques from Yemen. Illegal movement or sale of Yemeni antiques is a serious offence under local law which can carry a custodial sentence.

Yemen is considered a medium to high threat environment for crime. Common petty or street crime exists in cities, particularly when valuables and cash are left in plain view. Violence against expatriates has risen in recent years in large part due to increased AQAP activity, civil unrest, and current economic conditions. There has also been an increase in reports of carjackings and assassinations, including within the expatriate community. Local police forces are largely unaccountable, and frequently make arrests on the request of influential families and tribes. Yemeni authorities may not inform the relevant foreign embassy when a foreign national is arrested.

The Yemeni government rigidly enforces restrictions on prior travel to Israel, and does not allow persons with passports bearing Israeli visas or entry/exit stamps to enter the country. Likewise, the absence of entry stamps from a country adjacent to Israel, which the traveller has just visited, may cause Yemeni immigration officials to refuse admittance.