Yemen Humanitarian Bulletin Issue 9 | Issued on 1 March 2016 [EN/AR]

In this issue 2016 humanitarian priorities P.1
Many areas still hard to access P.2
Cash assistance to be expanded P.4
Call centre helps women and girls P.5

HIGHLIGHTS

• The 2016 YHRP is requesting US$1.8 billion to assist 13.6 million people.

• Humanitarian access is most difficult in Taizz, Sa’ada, Hajjah and Al Baydah govern orates.

• Over 100,000 households are currently benefitting from cash programs.

2016 Response Targets Most Vulnerable

13.6 million people in Yemen to receive humanitarian assistance.

The 2016 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (YHRP) was launched by the Humanitarian Coordinator, Jamie McGoldrick, in Geneva on 18 February. “Civilians in Yemen are the losers,” McGoldrick explained at the launch. “Yemen’s plight has often been overshadowed by crises elsewhere in the region and the world. We cannot afford to let Yemen become a forgotten crisis,” he added.

The response plan brings together over 100 humanitarian partners working in Yemen and seeks $1.8 billion to provide critical and life-saving assistance to 13.6 million people across the country. Most immediate assistance is needed in the sectors of food security, health and water, sanitation and hygiene. The plan aims to save lives, prioritizing the most vulnerable, protect civilians from harm, promote equitable access for girls and women, support people’s resilience and restore their livelihoods. The governorates facing the highest levels of need include Taizz, Sa’ada, Hajjah and Aden.

Humanitarian response plan builds on previous achievements

Yemen already faced huge humanitarian needs with 15.9 million people (61 per cent of the population) requiring humanitarian assistance at the end of 2014. Since March 2015, the escalation of conflict and an increase in attacks on civilian and economic infrastructure have pushed basic social services to near collapse and the economy has ground to a virtual halt. As a result, humanitarian needs have grown significantly.

The 2016 YHRP seeks to further scale up the response, building on previous achievem ents recorded by humanitari an partners. In 2015, despite a difficult operating environment and receiving only 56 per cent of funding requested, humanitarian partners reached at least 8.8 million girls, boys, women and men across Yemen with some form of humanitarian assistance. In December alone, at least 1.5 million people received assistance in all the 21 conflict-affected governorates.

Since June, operational capacity has nearly doubled, with 103 organisations now participating in the coordinated response. More than half of these organisations are national NGOs, who are playing a key role in boosting delivery. “Without sustained access, however, none of this is possible,” said McGoldrick. “We look to parties participating in this conflict to facilitate humanitarian assistance in any location where people need aid and protection. This means that all the warring parties - in all locations at all times - must allow neutral and impartial aid organizations to safely deliver life-saving aid and allow civilians to reach that aid. This obligation is non-negotiable and must be unconditional.”