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Yemen

Yemen: Task Force on Population Movement (TFPM) - 11th Report - Executive Summary - October 2016

Attachments

KEY STATISTICS – DISPLACEMENT AND RETURN

CONFLICT RELATED: The 11th TFPM identifies, in connection with the ongoing conflict, 2,179,278 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who remain in a situation of displacement across 21 governorates; the majority, 51%, are displaced in Hajjah, Taizz, and Sana’a. The TFPM has identified 1,010,016 returnees in 20 governorates; the majority, 68%, have returned to Aden, Amanat Al Asimah and Taizz.

NATURAL DISASTER RELATED: The 11th TFPM Report also provides figures on displaced and returnee populations in relation to displacement due to natural disasters, namely the two cyclones that made landfall in November 2015 and the heavy rains through the summer 2016. As of September 2016, 20,334 individuals remain in displacement owing to natural events across 18 governorates, with 55,554 returnees across 8 governorates.

DISPLACEMENT AND RETURN DYNAMICS

Through August and September 2016 the TFPM has observed a minor decrease in the conflict-related displacement of 25,824 individuals (-1.12%). This is a result of identified decrease in IDP numbers in 8 governorates, primarily Taizz. On the other hand, there has been an overall increase in the conflict-affected return population by 60,546 individuals (+6.4%). In particular, increased return movements have been observed in 14 governorates, with over 34,770 new returnees identified in Aden. The majority of IDPs have been displaced since the first 6 months of the start of the conflict in March 2015, with 85% of IDPs reported to have been displaced for more than a year, with a further 5% displaced for 10 – 12 months.

The dynamics of displacement in Yemen continue to shift, with new displacement continuing to occur in areas of prolonged and escalating hostilities, while simultaneously the emergence of return pockets have been observed. Indeed, 90% of the population who have returned from their displacement in the last 19 months have returned to 33 districts. Geographically this represents just 10% of the 333 districts in Yemen, and therefore suggests that clear pockets of return, in areas of relative stability, may be materializing.

TOP PRIORITY NEEDS AND SHELTER SITUATION

The needs of IDPs, returnees, whether conflict or disaster related, and by extension members of the non-displaced host community remain high. Indicative data collected by the TFPM at the community level through key informants show that the following needs were identified as the number one priority among IDPs: food (66%), WASH (11%) and Shelter/Housing (7%). Access to income is reported as the fourth most commonly mentioned need, with 5% of the key informants expressing it as the top priority need. Since the last report, the percentage of IDPs reporting food as their top priority need reduced from 74% to 66%, while there was an observed increase of 10% of locations where WASH was reported as the top priority need. Based on the needs expressed in each governorate against the total number of displaced households per governorate, the top five governorates where food was consistently stated as the number one priority need were: Dhamar (99.8%), Sa’ada (99.2%), Ibb (98.5%), Sana’a (89.1%) and Raymah (86.5%). The governorate where the need for food was mentioned least often as a top priority was Hadramaut (4.9%). Amongst returnees, the following needs were mentioned as the top priority: food (35%), financial support (19%) psychosocial support (16%) and access to income (10%). However, this varied between the different areas with significant governorate as well as regional variance observed.

With respect to shelter, the majority of IDPs are living in hosted situations (55%), while the next largest category are those that reside in rented accommodation (22%), followed by those residing in collective centres or spontaneous settlements (19%). This is a common trend seen in previous TFPM reports, and is also similar to shelter distribution trends globally among displaced populations. Among returnees the vast majority (86%) have returned to their original homes, with a small number (7%) residing in rented accommodation, and a further 7% in hosted situations.