Yemen Humanitarian Bulletin Issue 22 | 14 April 2017 [EN/AR]

HIGHLIGHTS

• Some 48,000 people displaced by conflict on western coast since January

• Three million people displaced in the last two years

• 120,000 people recently assisted in Taizz and Al Hudaydah

• Seven million people face the threat of famine

On-going conflict increases suffering

Two thirds of Yemen’s population are now vulnerable and need support

Two years after conflict escalated in Yemen, the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country has reached a milestone with millions of lives devastated. The country is facing one of the largest food and protection emergencies in the world and there is broad agreement among humanitarian partners that this man-made disaster could reach a point of no-return in 2017. Continued hostilities in the country have been brutal on ordinary people who have borne the brunt of sustained airstrikes and localized fighting. The ongoing military campaign has destroyed the economy and moved an already weak and impoverished country towards social, economic, and institutional collapse.

In the last two years, an estimated three million people have been displaced from their homes. One million of those displaced have provisionally returned home, although often to precarious living conditions. As the conflict drags on, the length of displacement has become prolonged and intensified fighting has resulted in new waves of displacement, especially in western coastal areas. Half of Yemen’s population lacks clean water, sanitation and hygiene services, thereby increasing the risk of infectious diseases.
Medicines for diabetes, hypertension, cancer and other chronic diseases are in short supply and there are acute shortages of critical medical equipment. For more than six months, health facilities in Yemen like all public sector services, have received irregular financial support to cover operational costs and staff salaries.
The conflict continues to claim children’s lives and their futures. Data shows that the number of children killed in conflict increased by 70 per cent, and nearly twice as many children were injured and recruited into the fighting since March 2016 compared to the same period the previous year.