"In the past, various types of small and medium-sized weapons were sold
openly in arms markets inside or outside main cities," Hadash said.
In 2009, Yemen was said to have contained nearly 10 million small arms,
all but 1.5 million in the hands of the government and military. The rest of
the weapons were said to be owned by families and marked a leading element
in domestic violence.
"Arms bearing is part of our culture, which is why the trade continues,
even through secret deals," Abdul Rahman Al Marwani, chairman of a Yemeni
non-governmental organization, said.
More than 300 arms dealers were operating in Yemen, the analysts said.
Al Marwani said the arms trade has led to the killing of 1,200 Yemenis a
year.
Industry sources said the arms trade has declined amid hard economic
times. They said sales have dropped sharply over the last decade.
"Ten years ago, I used to sell four or five guns and up to 90 bullets a
day, compared to only three or four guns and 100 bullets a week now." Ahmad
Ali Mutahar, an arms shopkeeper in Jihana market, said.