Yemen Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #2 FY18

December 12, 2017

Highlights

• KSA-led Coalition-imposed port closures interrupt commercial and humanitarian imports, resulting in food and fuel shortages, sharp price increases
• Many areas of Yemen likely to experience Famine levels of acute food insecurity within three to four months
• 2018 Yemen HNO identifies 22.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance

Key Developments

On November 4, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) intercepted a missile launched by Al Houthi forces toward the KSA’s capital city of Riyadh, prompting the KSA to temporarily close all of Yemen’s air, land, and sea ports on November 6. Although the KSA officially reopened the ports in late November, the KSA-led Coalition has only cleared a limited number of commercial and humanitarian shipments to enter Yemen’s Red Sea ports. No fuel vessels have been allowed to enter Red Sea ports since November 6, resulting in sharp fuel price increases and forcing at least five major cities to shut down fuel-reliant water supply systems.

From December 1–6, clashes between Al Houthi and General People’s Congress (GPC) forces in Yemen’s capital city of Sana’a and Coalition airstrikes throughout northern Yemen resulted in at least 234 deaths, 400 injuries, and impeded the freedom of movement of approximately 1 million people, relief actors report.

On November 20, the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) released a food security alert warning that many areas of Yemen will likely experience Famine—IPC 5—levels of acute food insecurity within three to four months if the vessels carrying commercial food and fuel imports are restricted from entering Yemen’s Red Sea ports.

On December 12, USAID/FFP announced nearly $130 million—nearly $84 million in U.S. in-kind food assistance and $46 million supporting the provision of locally- and regionally-procured food—in FY 2018 funding to the UN World Food Program (WFP) for emergency food assistance operations in Yemen. The assistance is sufficient to support approximately 7 million people for three months.

ACCESS CONSTRAINTS AND INSECURITY

On November 4, Al Houthi forces fired a long-range ballistic missile that was intercepted near Riyadh, according to international media. In response to the attack, the KSA-led Coalition imposed temporary air, land, and sea port closures in Yemen. The closures immediately halted humanitarian staff movements into and out of Yemen, delayed commercial and humanitarian imports, and resulted in increased commodity and fuel prices.

Following international advocacy efforts, the KSA-led Coalition reopened Republic of Yemen Government (RoYG)-controlled ports, including southern Yemen’s Aden and Mukalla sea ports and overland border crossings from Oman and Saudi Arabia, in mid-November. Humanitarian flights into Sana’a International Airport recommenced on November 25, and the Coalition subsequently allowed limited commercial and humanitarian food vessels to berth at Al Hudaydah and Al Saleef sea ports. Relief actors note that Al Hudaydah and Al Saleef accommodate nearly 80 percent of Yemen’s imports, and that allowing limited imports is not sufficient to stave off deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

The KSA-led Coalition has not allowed any fuel vessels to enter Yemen’s Red Sea ports since November 6, increasing the cost of fuel and basic goods, and hampering relief actors’ capacity to provide humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected populations. As a result of fuel shortages, five major Yemeni cities were without functioning water systems as of December 8; the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster5 estimates 14 cities will exhaust fuel supplies by December 17, leaving at least 11 million people without access to safe drinking water. The UN World Health Organization (WHO) warns that lack of fuel to operate hospitals and water pumps could intensify cholera transmission.

Previously allied Al Houthi and GPC forces clashed in Sana’a from December 1–6, while the Coalition conducted airstrikes throughout northern Yemen. The violence resulted in at least 234 deaths—including that of former Yemeni President and GPC leader Ali Abdullah Saleh—more than 400 injuries, and restricted the movement of approximately 1 million residents in the city, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. In response to insecurity in Sana’a and ongoing Red Sea port restrictions, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Jamie McGoldrick released a statement on December 11 calling for sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access and adherence, by all parties to the conflict, to international humanitarian law.

The UN released the 2018 Yemen Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) on December 4, identifying 22.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance countrywide, including 11.3 million people in acute need of emergency assistance. The figure does not include increased emergency needs resulting from the November port closures.

On December 6, U.S. President Donald J. Trump released a statement calling for complete and immediate access of food, fuel, and medical shipments to populations in Yemen. USAID Administrator Mark Green released a statement on December 5 entreating the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers and calling for the continued flow of commercial goods into Yemen.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) in Aden Governorate’s capital city of Aden on November 5, resulting in seven deaths and 12 injuries, according to international media. ISIS detonated a second VBIED in Aden on November 14, resulting in nine deaths and 15 injuries, including civilians and security forces, media report.

Active conflict continues to result in civilian deaths and injuries across Yemen. Coalition airstrikes in Sa’dah Governorate resulted in nearly 40 deaths and 30 injuries between November 1 and 3, while shelling in Ta’izz Governorate resulted in the deaths of five children on November 2. The Yemeni conflict has resulted in approximately 5,300 civilian deaths and injured nearly 8,900 people since March 2015, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reports.

HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND WASH

Although health actors have recorded fewer suspected cholera cases per week in recent months, fuel shortages resulting from port restrictions have adversely affected access to safe drinking water, raising concerns amongst relief agencies of a cholera resurgence. Health organizations recorded more than 984,800 suspected cholera cases and 2,225 associated deaths between April 27 and December 12, according to WHO. As of December 9, health actors were supporting more than 200 cholera treatment centers with the capacity to treat nearly 3,200 patients and nearly 900 oral rehydration centers, WHO reports.

In addition to a widespread cholera outbreak, Yemen is now facing an outbreak of diphtheria, a preventable, highly infectious respiratory disease. Health actors recorded nearly 320 diagnosed diphtheria cases and 21 related deaths in 15 governorates between early September and early December, according to WHO.

On November 25, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) delivered 1.9 million vaccine doses to the city of Sana’a to inoculate approximately 600,000 children against diphtheria, tetanus, and other diseases. UNICEF, in partnership with WHO, began a diphtheria vaccination campaign targeting 300,000 children younger than 12 months of age on November 25.

UNICEF began a national poliovirus vaccination campaign in October, and reached more than 4.1 million children across 19 governorates that month. In coordination with the vaccination campaign, health partners conducted malnutrition screenings for approximately 2.9 million children and referred more than 271,000 acute malnutrition cases for treatment, according to UNICEF.

WASH Cluster partners disinfected water sources in 13 governorates between November 27 and December 3, providing approximately 3.6 million people with access to safe drinking water. Partners also reached 1.3 million people with cholera prevention messaging, distributed hygiene kits to 410,000 people, and provided water trucking services to more than 270,000 people in nine governorates.

From April–September, a USAID/OFDA partner supported 40 health facilities in Sana’a and Ta’izz governorates to provide primary and reproductive health care services; case management of childhood illnesses; and acute malnutrition screenings, referrals, and treatment. The partner provided nearly 84,000 health consultations, reached nearly 2,200 women with prenatal care services, and supported the safe delivery of nearly 490 infants in the two governorates. In addition, the partner distributed supplementary food to more than 3,000 pregnant and lactating women and admitted approximately 7,000 patients for the treatment of moderate and severe acute malnutrition in Sana’a and Ta’izz.

During the same period, the partner also supported WASH interventions in five health facilities and 11 internally displaced person (IDP) sites in Ibb, Sana’a, and Ta’izz governorates, reaching nearly 1.4 million beneficiaries. WASH services included chlorination and treatment of water points, hygiene and sanitation promotion, installation of water tanks, medical waste management, latrine and water supply rehabilitation, and training health workers on cholera prevention and treatment.

FOOD SECURITY AND LIVELIHOODS

On November 20, FEWS NET issued a food security alert indicating that continued port restrictions would likely cause populations in many areas of Yemen to experience Famine conditions within three to four months. The acutely malnourished, IDPs, and populations in less accessible areas, as well as in areas reliant on maritime imports for staple food supplies, may experience Famine earlier, FEWS NET reports. Yemen relies on maritime imports for more than 80 percent of its annual staple food supply and prolonged port restrictions risk an unprecedented deterioration in food security to Famine conditions across large areas of the country, according to FEWS NET. Yemen was already facing the largest food security emergency in the world before the port closures, with more than 15 million people facing Crisis—IPC 3—or worse levels of food insecurity.

The port restrictions have hampered agricultural activity due to fuel shortages, fuel price increases, and resulting increased water transportation costs, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Port restrictions have also hampered fishing activities in coastal areas of Hajjah, southern Al Hudaydah, and Ta’izz governorates, halting fish exports from Yemen, FAO reports. An estimated 83,000 small-scale fishers and nearly 584,000 individuals in coastal communities along the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea rely on fishing as a livelihood activity.

Since the partial reopening of Yemen’s ports in November, three vessels chartered by USAID/FFP partner WFP have discharged nearly 106,000 metric tons (MT) of wheat at Aden and Al Saleef sea ports. Although the vessels have provided critical support to Yemen’s humanitarian food pipeline, ongoing clearance delays for commercial ships to berth at Red Sea ports continue to hinder Yemen’s commercial food pipeline. The limited shipments in recent weeks are insufficient to support Yemen’s food needs.

Relief actors continue to provide emergency food assistance to populations throughout Yemen. In November, WFP reached approximately 6.5 million people with emergency food assistance, including approximately 5.8 million individuals with in-kind food rations and 700,000 individuals with food vouchers. WFP targets 6.8 million of Yemen’s most severely food-insecure individuals each month through the distribution of food vouchers and more than 1.2 million MT of in-kind food assistance.

PROTECTION

The number of armed clashes in Yemen between January and September 2017 exceeded the number of armed clashes in all of 2016, according to the Protection Custer. In addition, the number of airstrikes recorded was nearly double the number of airstrikes in 2016. Conflict incidents affected nearly 60 percent of Yemen’s districts during this period, and approximately 10 percent of districts experienced daily airstrikes or armed conflict.

Relief agencies continue to respond to widespread protection concerns, including gender-based violence (GBV), resulting from the protracted conflict in Yemen. In October, protection actors provided GBV services to more than 2,300 men, women, and children in 12 governorates, and distributed more than 7,200 dignity kits in seven governorates, according to the Yemen GBV sub-cluster.

The conflict in Yemen has also resulted in increased psychosocial support needs. Despite growing need, a recent multi-cluster assessment revealed that a mere eight percent of people surveyed reported the availability of nearby psychosocial support services, according to the GBV sub-cluster.

A USAID/OFDA partner trained more than 5,400 people in child protection services and more than 700 people in GBV prevention and response services between July and September. The partner also provided psychosocial support services for children at the organization’s six mobile child-friendly spaces, reaching more than 2,000 children from July–September.

SHELTER AND RELIEF COMMODITIES

In late November, State/PRM partner the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provided relief items to approximately 350 newly displaced households who fled violence in southern Yemen’s Lahij Governorate and emergency shelter kits to 400 displaced households living in settlements in Sana’a. The UN agency also distributed household items—including blankets, kitchen sets, mattresses, and water containers—to more than 20,000 individuals in Amanat al-Asimah, Amran, Dhamar, Ibb, Sa’dah, and Sana’a governorates during the same period. In addition, UNHCR has reached nearly 100,000 people with cash assistance to support shelter needs to date in 2017.

OTHER HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

On December 7, the European Commission announced more than $29 million in additional funding for WFP emergency food assistance programs and to support the transportation of humanitarian commodities and relief workers through the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS).

PUBLIC DONATION INFORMATION

The most effective way people can assist relief efforts is by making cash contributions to humanitarian organizations that are conducting relief operations. A list of humanitarian organizations that are accepting cash donations for disaster responses around the world can be found at www.interaction.org.

USAID encourages cash donations because they allow aid professionals to procure the exact items needed (often in the affected region); reduce the burden on scarce resources (such as transportation routes, staff time, and warehouse space); can be transferred very quickly and without transportation costs; support the economy of the disaster-stricken region; and ensure culturally, dietary, and environmentally appropriate assistance.

More information can be found at:
- USAID Center for International Disaster Information: www.cidi.org or +1.202.821.1999.
- Information on relief activities of the humanitarian community can be found at www.reliefweb.int.