Attachments
KEY FIGURES
18.8 million people in need
1,991,340 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP)
84 % of IDPs displaced for more than a year
1,048,896 IDP returnees
803,393 recipients of NFIs since March 2015
279,480 registered refugees and asylum seekers
15,948 new arrivals to Yemeni coast since 1 January 2017
HIGHLIGHTS
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On 17 March 42 people – mainly Somalis – lost their lives when the boat they were traveling in was attacked off the coast of AlHudaydah, marking two years of conflict in Yemen. UNHCR is deeply concerned by the incident in which approximately 145 passengers traveling in a boat came under fire – some of them refugees carrying UNHCR documentation. Women and children were among those on the boat. UNHCR urges all parties to the conflict to ensure the utmost respect and adherence to the protection of civilians in Yemen.
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A major advance in emergency assistance was achieved as UNHCR reached Al Mokha. Humanitarian access to Mokha, one of the worst affected areas within Taizz Governorate, has been challenging owing to ongoing clashes and movement restrictions imposed by parties to the conflict. More than 3,416 individuals affected by the conflict received nonfood assistance following a successful mission in March.
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Information campaign on the Assisted Spontaneous Return Programme for Somali refugees launched. UNHCR and partners are responding to the worsening conditions in Yemen assisting Somali refugees who wish to return to Somalia from Yemen. UNHCR is anticipating assisting 10,000 refugees in 2017.
UPDATE ON ACHIEVEMENTS
Operational Context
The month of March marks the two year anniversary of the outbreak of the conflict in Yemen, with the upcoming months looking to be the bleakest yet. The High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has called for an inquiry in to the incident off the coast of Hudaydah which left 42 people dead and a further 39 people injured – some of them refugees with UNHCR documentation - when the boat they were traveling in was attacked by unidentified assailants. The boat was carrying approximately 145 passengers and came under fire close to the western coastal port city of Al Hudaydah. Women and children were among those on the boat. UNHCR urges all parties to the conflict to ensure the utmost respect and adherence to the protection of civilians in Yemen.
UNHCR continues in its response to the needs of those displaced from and within Taizz Governorate. In a major leap of progress and following weeks of negotiations and preparation, UNHCR carried out a distribution of lifesaving humanitarian assistance to 3,416 Yemenis in Al Mokha. The distribution which included shelter and emergency relief items, was monitored by UNHCR international staff. The situation on the ground as observed by UNHCR is dire, and the Agency continues to be hugely concerned for the well-being of the displaced, given the predictions of fighting continuing to intensify and potentially forcing thousands of families to flee in search of safety.
Recognizing the worsening conditions in Yemen, and some refugees’ desire to return home, UNHCR is offering assistance to Somalis with their choice to return. An information campaign is underway which provides a chance for Somalis to better understand the situation in their country of origin. It is expected that the Assisted Spontaneous Return plan will help some 10,000 people during 2017 with their right to return home.