Attachments
Highlights
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The security situation in Yemen deteriorated in April with attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including a UNICEF constructed water system, and the tragic death of an international humanitarian aid worker. Further, this month 61 children were verified as killed and 67 children were maimed.
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Now a year since the outbreak of cholera on 27 April 2017, the cumulative total of suspected cholera cases reported since 27 April has reached 1,094,061 as of 29 April 2018, with 2,277 associated deaths across the country. Children under 5 years old continue to represent 28.8 per cent of total suspected caseload. Although the attack rate continues to decline for the 32nd week, UNICEF is preparing for a roll-out of the Oral Cholera Vaccine in April.
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Since the beginning of 2018, UNICEF has now treated over 61,000 children under 5 with severe acute malnutrition, reaching 22 per cent of the overall target.
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UNICEF continued to provide lifesaving information to the conflict affected children and their care givers through mine risk education in April over 142,000 more people were reached, achieving 44 per cent of its overall target for the year.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
Although humanitarian partners welcome the efforts of the new Special Envoy and key Member States to restart political dialogue and halt hostilities before the start of Ramadan, all indicators point to a sharp deterioration in humanitarian, social and economic conditions in Yemen this month. The UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock has also expressed concern about insufficient commercial imports, particularly food.
This month was especially marred by attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, and airstrikes continue to be a daily reality for people across the country. A water system in Sa'ada governorate was completely destroyed in an attack that left 7,500 people, including internally displaced families, without water, whilst airstrikes on a wedding party in Hajjah, left at least 50 civilians, including children, dead, and scores of others injured. In April, throughout the whole country, 61 children were verified as killed and 67 children were verified as maimed.
The whole humanitarian community was also deeply saddened following an incident on 21 April 2018 when an international staff member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was fatally shot in an attack by unknown armed men, while travelling to visit a prison outside of Taizz.
The Secretary-General reminded all parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law concerning the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Tensions also increased following the killing of the Senior Ansar Allah official and head of the Supreme Political Council, Saleh Al-Sammad, in an airstrike on 19 April. Meanwhile, cross-border ballistic missiles launched by pro-Ansar Allah forces in southern Saudi Arabia tallied up to around 35 for the month, the highest monthly total since the start of the conflict.
The attack rate for Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD)/cholera continues to decline for the 32nd’ consecutive week, whilst for diphtheria, as of 29 April 2018, a cumulative total of 1,675 (a 10 per cent increase from the previous month) suspected cases were reported including 90 associated deaths (a 6 per cent increase) and a case fatality rate of 5.3 per cent, with children under the age of five (U5) representing 20 per cent of suspected cases and 38 per cent of associated deaths. The conflict also continues to heavily impact children's right to an education. Many teachers' salaries remain unpaid (61 per cent) and in some school's teachers work only a few hours a day.