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Yemen

UNICEF Yemen Humanitarian Situation Report (Jan-Jun 2019)

Attachments

Highlights

• Since 1 January 2019 to 30 June 2019, there have been 439,812 suspected cases and 695 associated deaths recorded (case fatality ratio, CFR 0.16 per cent). Children under five represent a quarter of the total suspected cases. The number of new weekly cases is now declining since Week 14, as UNICEF and partners scale-up prevention and response interventions. UNICEF with the support of GAVI (global vaccine alliance) and WHO, vaccinated nearly 11.8 million children with measles and rubella vaccination in the first half of 2019, aiming to mitigate the frequency of the outbreak and reduce the high morbidity rate and death associated with them.

• In 2019, the UN Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting has documented 755 incidents of grave violations against children, in which 88 per cent (654) of the incidents were verified; this includes 562 children killed and maimed and 527 boys and 41 girls recruited and used by various parties to the conflict.

• UNICEF has increased the minimum target for management of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) from 70 per cent in 2018 to 90 per cent in 2019. Up to the end of June 2019, 131,516 children were admitted to SAM treatment, through fixed and mobile Outpatient Therapeutic Programmes. • UNICEF has responded to over 355,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) so far this year, through emergency WASH interventions, including water trucking, construction of latrines, distribution of hygiene kits and hygiene promotion.

• The Education Teachers’ Incentives project carried out two payment cycles in February and May respectively. During the second cycle, 112,387 teachers and school-based-staff (85,144 males; 27,243 females) were reached with incentives.

June 2019

12.3 million
# of children in need of humanitarian assistance (estimated)
24.1 million
# of people in need
(OCHA, 2019 Yemen Humanitarian Needs Overview)
1.71 million
# of children internally displaced (IDPs)
4.7 million
# of children in need of educational assistance
360,000
# of children under 5 suffering Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)
17.8 million
# of people in need of WASH assistance
19.7 million
# of people in need of basic health care

UNICEF Appeal 2019
US$ 536 million
Funding Available*
US$ 365.2 million

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

The conflict situation in Yemen continues unabated, affecting more than 24 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, including 14.3 million in acute need. These figures indicate that the number of people in acute need has risen by a staggering 27 per cent compared to December 2017. With 12.3 million children in need in 2019, children are among the most vulnerable groups and are disproportionately affected by the conflict.

Meanwhile, the fighting still rages across 30 active frontlines — home to nearly 1.2 million children. Whilst the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement initially led to a de-escalation of the conflict in Al Hudaydah, the governorate continued to suffer the highest levels of civilian casualties so far in 2019. Moreover, deepened political divisions between the UN Special Envoy and the Government of Yemen has left the Stockholm Agreement more fragile than ever, increasing risk of failure in the political negotiations.

In the first six months of 2019, conflict activities also escalated in other parts of the country, including Hajjah and Taiz, and new patterns of displacement have been seen particularly in within Al Dhale'e and Al Hudaydah governorates, triggering increasing humanitarian needs. Torrential rain and flooding affected 80,000 people across Yemen. This year has also seen an escalation of attacks into Saudi territory which has generated further retaliation in various areas such as Sana’a, Sa’adah and Hajjah, and airstrikes are more often targeting densely populated areas, causing mass casualties. Between January and June 2019, there have been verified reports of 562 children killed and maimed.

Health and WASH conditions in Yemen have deteriorated due to the protracted conflict and amid declining WASH and health services, leading to increased caseloads of cholera. Since 1 January 2019 to 30 June 2019, there have been 439,812 suspected cases and 695 associated deaths 5 recorded (CFR 0.16 per cent). Whilst there was a rapid upsurge in the first quarter, the trend of new cases remained stable until mid-May, and in June there has been a slight decline, demonstrating the effective scale-up of UNICEF and partners integrated prevention and response interventions. While children under five represent a quarter of the total suspected cases in 2019, the elderly are most seriously affected. Up until 23 June 2019, there have also been nearly 6,000 suspected measles and rubella cases (45 per cent children between the ages of 1 and 5), with 44 associated deaths. For diphtheria, as of the end of June, there have been over 3,800 probable cases, with 214 associated deaths.

On top of this grave outlook, fuel shortages and price hikes were recorded in north Yemen, and disrupted transport networks, the delivery of basic services, and putting further pressure on already stretched household budgets. Against this backdrop of increasing humanitarian needs, UNICEF and partners continue to scale-up the response. However, physical access to populations in need is increasingly constrained in areas of conflict escalation, in addition, major land routes connecting Aden and Sana'a have been closed since April causing delays in the delivery of supplies.