Highlights
• As the conflict continued to intensify in Marib and along the west coast, UNICEF, in partnership with UNFPA and WFP, continued to reach displaced populations at all frontlines with first line response packages, reaching an additional newly 11,875 displaced households (83,125 individuals) across 20 districts through the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM).
• From January to November 2021, a total of 6,841,187 children under 5 years were screened for malnutrition. Out of these, 273,049 children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) were identified and admitted to Outpatient Treatment Programmes (OTPs).
• A total of 40,215 children received the Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine, 26,014 children received their third dose of the Pentavalent vaccine and 18,754 women of childbearing age (15-49 years) received the tetanus diphtheria (Td) vaccine.
• In November, fuel delivery continued in to support 34 Local Water Sanitation Corporations (LWSCs) in 15 Governorates to sustain the provision of safe water supply to approximately 2.48 million people.
• During the reporting period, 134,992 conflict-affected children (68,649 girls; 66,343 boys) and 11,687 adults (5,535 women; 6,152 men). were reached through Mine Risk Education (MRE) activities
Situation in Numbers
(OCHA, 2021 Humanitarian Needs Overview)
11.3 million children in need of humanitarian assistance
20.7 million people in need (OCHA, 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan)
2 million children internally displaced (IDPs) (UNICEF, 2021 Yemen Humanitarian Action for Children)
Funding Overview and Partnerships
The Yemen Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) revised in May 2021 and aligned with the 2021 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (YHRP), appeals for $508.8 million. UNICEF’s humanitarian programmes are planned for nationwide reach targeting populations in areas with the most acute needs, and the appeal integrates the COVID-19 response into programmes planned within the HAC. As UNICEF continues to actively fundraise for its 2021 HAC appeal, as of 30 November 2021, $151.9 million has been received. A total of $94.5 million was carried forward from 2020, with an additional $44.4 million received from other contributions1. This makes a total of $290.8 million funds mobilized against the 2021 HAC and leaves a funding gap of $218 million, or 42 per cent of the total amount required to continue UNICEF’s life-saving work in Yemen. During the reporting period, generous contributions were received from the National Committee of Germany, the Government of Canada and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
Seven years into the conflict, Yemen remains one of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis with 20.7 million people – 71 per cent of the total population – in need of humanitarian assistance. In November 2021, significant challenges to UNICEF’s life-saving interventions persisted, including increased fighting in Marib Governorate, heavy rains destroying shelters of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and threatening infrastructure, severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and conflict-torn areas forcing families to flee from their homes. As of the end of November 2021, four million people, including two million children, continue to be internally displaced. In addition, as of late 2020, Yemen hosted approximately 138,000 migrants and 177,600 refugees and asylum-seekers. Over 90 per cent of migrants are of Ethiopian origin and are mostly in transit to Gulf countries to seek livelihood opportunities.
During the month of November 2021, the UN Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting (UNCTFMR) documented nine incidents of grave violations against children, of which 44 per cent were verified. The majority of verified violations this month pertained to child casualties, including three children injured (1 girl; 2 boys) by various parties to the conflict. Most of the incidents documented were in the governorates of Al Dhale’e (3) and Al Hodeidah (3).
Approximately 400,000 children under the age of five continue to face SAM, out of a total of almost 2.3 million children facing acute malnutrition. More than 15.4 million people urgently need assistance to access water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. Approximately 20.1 million people need assistance to access health services. Women and children continue to be disproportionately affected with 4.8 million women, 10.2 million children, three million people with disabilities, and 2.1 million men requiring assistance to access health services. If funds for health are not received, support to hospitals will halt, resulting in an interruption of basic life-saving health services for children, mothers and their new-borns, risking their lives and wellbeing. It will also result to a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for thousands of health care providers and will affect COVID-19 screenings for hundreds of thousands of Yemenis. Cold chain interruption will negatively impact on immunization programmes for over ten types of lifesaving vaccines, including those for Polio, Measles, and COVID-19.
Between 1 January and 30 November 2021, a total number of 26,891 AWD/cholera suspected cases as well as 17 associated deaths were reported, with a 0.06 per cent case fatality rate (CFR). A significant decline in the number of cholera cases was observed compared with the same period of 2020 (221,847 suspected cases and 81 associated deaths, with a 0.04 per cent CFR). Despite the declining trend in cholera cases, UNICEF continues to closely monitor suspected cases and associated deaths.
As of 30 November 2021, a total number of 10,006 COVID-19 cases were officially confirmed, with 1,950 associated deaths making it 19.5 per cent CFR. Almost all the cases that were reported are from Hadramout, Aden, Abyan, Lahj, Al-Dhale’a, Shabwah, Al-Maharah, Taizz, and Marib governorates, among which the most affected were Hadramout, Aden and Taizz. After the first four cases were reported in 2020, Northern governorates ceased reporting on any new cases. The COVID-19 vaccine deployment has continued in the Southern governorates with ongoing advocacy to have the Northern governorates on board the deployment. As at the end of November 2021, a total of 500,738 people have been vaccinated with at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine since the commencement of the deployment. Only about 2.6 per cent of the population of the South where the deployment is ongoing has been fully vaccinated as at the end of November 2021.