Yemen - Jemen

The Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany has one for this country Travel warning released (Web link). Warnings are given against traveling to Yemen. All Germans who have not yet left the country are asked to leave Yemen. Date of last travel warning: 11/27/2019.

The Austrian Foreign Ministry has one for this country Travel warning released (Web link) Due to the ongoing fighting and air strikes as well as the generally unpredictable security situation, a travel warning has been issued for Yemen. All Austrians are strongly recommended to leave Yemen immediately! Date of the last travel warning: 02/19/2020.

The Yemen (Republic of Yemen, Al-Jumhuriya al-Yemenia) is lying in near East. Bordering countries are Saudi Arabia and the Oman.

A bloody civil war has been raging in Yemen since 2015. Many of the statements in this article refer to the time before. The destruction of the war will make them obsolete. Verifiable information is hardly available at the beginning of 2019.

Regions

• Socotra - an island.

Cities

• Aden - former capital of South Yemen.
• Kawkaban
• Sana'a - Capital.
• Shibam

Other goals

background

While southern Yemen with its capital Aden was a British colony until 1967, northern Yemen with its capital Sanaa gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1918. The north was capitalist-oriented and supported by the west, while the communist south received help from Moscow. In 1990, after the collapse of world communism, there was a unification - but relations between the parts of the country remained bad. In 1994 a civil war broke out, which ended after 2 months with a victory for the north.
Yemen is a very traditional country where tribal affiliation is still very important. Accordingly, society is not characterized by excessive loyalty to the central government, which repeatedly leads to conflicts being resolved by force of arms. At the beginning of the millennium, a conflict broke out in the north with the Houthis clan, which has since developed into a civil war in which various groups are involved. The civil war is repeatedly interrupted by negotiations and armistices, only to break out again shortly afterwards.

getting there

Entry requirements

Visas must be applied for at the responsible embassy - an invitation from a Yemeni travel agency is required for this. Since the beginning of 2010 it is no longer possible to obtain a visa upon entry.

By plane

The national airline Yemenia and Lufthansa fly from Frankfurt to Sanaa. Otherwise there are transfer connections via Istanbul (Turkish Airlines) or Dubai (Emirates)

By train

There are no railway lines in Yemen.

By bus

Buses run between all major cities in the country. However, it is not always possible for tourists to use them, as the government only allows transport with private cars on many routes.

Car / motorcycle / bicycle

The entry over land is in fact only from Oman from possible. Here it is very straightforward. The borders with Saudi Arabia are effectively closed to individual travelers.

By boat

Occasional passages can be found on site Djibouti or Somaliland get booked. However, there are no regular ferry connections. When traveling, especially to Somaliland, one should take into account the risk of kidnapping by pirates.

mobility

Permits are required to visit many places and routes. Some stretches may only be traveled with an armed escort, others are generally closed to foreigners. The list of routes that require approval or are blocked is constantly changing. The local police will issue permits and provide information about unsafe areas.

language

The official language is Arabic. English and sometimes French is understood in the hotels in Sanaa and Aden that are frequented by foreigners.

to buy

In the bazaar in the old town of Sanaa there is almost everything you can imagine: from groceries and household goods to weapons and the very common qat, a narcotic drug. Before buying typical curved daggers, you should inquire about the gun laws in your home country - otherwise you can get rid of the dagger quickly when you return to Europe.

kitchen

The Yemeni cuisine is Arabic, but has clear influences of the geographically close African cuisine.

nightlife

accommodation

There are a variety of hotels in Sanaa and Aden, from the simplest hostels to 5-star hotels.

Learn and study

Work

public holidays

meeting	Surname	importance
22.05	Unification Day	Reunification of the Yemeni Arab Republic and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1990)
26.09		North Yemen Revolution Day 1962
14.10		South Yemen Revolution Day 1963
30.11		End of British colonial rule in South Yemen in 1967

security

Unfortunately, the security situation in Yemen has deteriorated significantly in recent years.
The occasional unrest in the north has turned into a real civil war, the tail of which has now also reached the Sanaa area in the form of attacks. There is also - recently also in the cities - the risk of kidnappings by various groups. Most of the foreign victims are released after a relatively short period of time, but there have also been fatalities in the past. Local advice should always be sought before excursions and, if possible, heeded. Some areas are temporarily not allowed to be visited at all, others only with a military escort.

The German embassy in Sana'a is closed and cannot provide consular assistance. In an emergency, Germans should contact the embassy in Amman (Jordan) turn.

Climate and travel time

health

behaviour rules

The afternoon is reserved for chewing qat in Yemen. Around noon, almost all Yemenis withdraw to enjoy the drug for a few hours. During this time and often afterwards, you can hardly do anything, i.e. if you need paperwork such as permits or flight bookings, you should have it done before lunch if possible. Otherwise, with a lot of luck, the early evening hours remained - although many offices have already closed.

Post and Telecommunications

literature

Web links