About one million US dollars are needed by IOM to provide emergency assistance to tens of thousands of people displaced by floods in south eastern Yemen.
Most of the displaced are in the governorate of Hadramut, which together with neighbouring Al-Mahra, was hit by a tropical storm nearly two weeks ago. The resulting floods have killed at least 180 people, according to the Yemeni government, with more than 100 people still missing.
Among the priorities in the relief effort is an in-depth needs assessment of the displaced which IOM expects to carry out in more than 111 spontaneous settlement sites that have sprung up since the disaster.
Information gathered will help humanitarian actors on the ground, including IOM, to provide tailored humanitarian assistance. It will also identify emerging needs and protection concerns of the internally displaced.
"The situation is worsening every day for the displaced. It is very likely that there are more spontaneous camps than we
know about and it is important that we reach these people as soon as we can. They are in very remote areas where there has been significant damage to roads and infrastructure which makes the task of helping them that much harder," says Stefano Tamagnini, IOM Yemen Chief of Mission.
In an initial and rapid assessment carried out in Hadramut last week by IOM, UN agencies, ECHO and various non-governmental organizations, food, non-food items and a lack of shelter were cited as the main needs. With the floods destroying crops, farms and water wells, the long-term livelihood of displaced people is of growing concern.
Funds will also allow for the registration and initial profiling of the displaced and for IOM to provide logistical support to the government and other humanitarian agencies in the delivery of emergency relief supplies.
For further information, please contact Stefano Tamagnini, IOM Yemen, Tel: + 967 734 079 429, email: stamagnini@iom.int