Yemen - ReliefWeb News

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Country: Yemen

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

• Conflict endangers agricultural livelihoods despite good rainfall

• Below-average cereal harvest gathered in 2016

• Over 17 million people food insecure towards the end of 2016

Conflict endangers agricultural livelihoods despite good rainfall

In the country, owing to a variety of natural conditions, agricultural activities vary greatly depending on the location. In Central Highlands and Southern up lands, barley, maize and sorghum harvests finished in November. In Central Highlands, second season wheat was planted in December, to be harvested from March 2017. In Eastern Plateau, wheat harvest started in January. Remotely sensed NDVI suggests satisfactory crop development owing to slightly above‑average rains. In many key producing areas such as Taiz and Sana’s, rainfall from September 2016 to January 2017 has been better than last year, securing sufficient soil moisture.

However, as a result of persistent conflict, almost all governorates are reporting shortage of agricultural inputs as well as high price of inputs with implications for the current agriculture season. The severity of the impact varies across the country. Agricultural activities, particularly irrigated agriculture, suffer from high fuel prices. Many rural households rely on casual labour as a source of income. In conflict situations and to cope with increased costs of production, hired agricultural labour is usually replaced by family labour.

Below-average cereal harvest gathered in 2016

Total 2016 cereal production is estimated at 480 000 tonnes, including 220 000 tonnes of sorghum and 150 000 tonnes of wheat, about 11 percent below previous year’s harvest and 37 percent below the five-year average. Agricultural production and livelihoods were affected by the ongoing conflict as well as torrential rains resulting in flash floods and landslides in July 2016. The Yemen Emergency Food Security and Nutrition Assessment (EFSNA) estimates that 40 percent of all agricultural households experienced a decline in cereal production compared to pre-crisis levels.

Although abundant rainfall in recent months improved availability of pasture and water for livestock, 45 percent of agricultural households reduced their animal numbers to cover other household needs, such as health and food, or lost animals due to veterinary diseases.

While fruit and vegetable production did not deteriorate compared to 2015, lack of marketing channels and absence of cold chain translated into high prices in the urban centers and depressed farm gate prices.

Relatively stable import requirements

On average, total domestic cereal production covers less than 20 percent of total domestic cereal utilisation (food, feed and other uses). The country is largely dependent on imports from the international markets to satisfy its domestic consumption requirement for wheat, the main staple. The share of domestic wheat production on total food utilisation in the last 10 years is between 5 to 10 percent, depending on the domestic harvest.

The import requirement for cereals to guarantee a sufficient calories intake in the 2016 marketing year (January/December) was estimated at about 4.1 million tonnes, including 3 million tonnes of wheat, 700 000 tonnes of maize and 420 000 tonnes of rice. Actual amount of imports is below the import requirement. In 2016, a total of 1 157 280 tonnes of wheat (of which 1 034 553 tonnes of wheat grain and 122 727 tonnes of wheat flour) were imported through Al Hudaydah. A smaller amount of 28 952 tonnes of wheat (19 034 tonnes of wheat grains and 9 918 tonnes of wheat flour) was imported through Al Mukalla port between May and November 2016.

As of January 2017, following the crisis in the Central Bank which led to a shutdown in trade finance and stopped wheat imports, the in-country commercial wheat grain stocks was estimated at some 940 000 tonnes (including flour), sufficient to satisfy country’s requirements for 3 months. In addition, continued fighting around the port city of Al Hudaydah, the main entry point for about 70 percent of the food import in Yemen serving the northern governorates hinders imports.

Some 17 million people are estimated to be food insecure towards the end of 2016

The latest multi‑agency EFSNA, using data, collected in November 2016, estimated that over 17 million people in Yemen are food insecure, with an increase of 3 million from the last available Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) from June 2016. Some 65 percent of Yemeni households are estimated to be food insecure, compared to 41 percent in the pre‑crisis period (2014). Out of 17 million food insecure, about 7.3 million people are estimated to be in need of emergency food assistance.

About 75 percent households report that the current economic situation is worse compared to pre‑crisis. The cost of living is now 40 percent higher than pre‑crisis, with income levels significantly deteriorating due to disruptions in livelihoods and salaries of public employees not being paid. High food prices continue to limit household access to food. In January 2017, the average prices of locally‑produced commodities (sorghum, millet, and maize) eased compared to October 2016, but remained up to between 45 and 70 percent above their pre‑crisis (February 2015) levels (Food Security Technical Secretariat Market update). Prices of imported wheat and wheat flour were relatively stable, but were still some 25‑30 percent above the pre‑crisis levels. Large regional price differences persist.

As of January 2017, there were approximately 2.025 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country, with the highest number residing in Hajjah, Taiz, Amanat, Al Asimah and Sana’a governorates. Reports indicate that IDPs are putting strain on host communities which are struggling to cope with already stretched limited resources.

The majority of Yemenis have little access to Government services and support. Many people do not have access to clean water and are struggling to feed themselves and their families. Water and sanitation issues likely contributed to the cholera outbreak announced in October 2016. Basic service infrastructure is near collapse, with fewer and fewer people able to access life‑saving assistance, basic health care and education. Children and women have been the hardest hit.

Official exchange rate remains stable at 250 YER/USD, while the prevailing rate on the parallel market reached 350 YER/USD in February 2017. Households relaying on remittances to improve their purchasing power report that lack of currency makes access of their remittances more difficult.

Source: International Committee of the Red Cross Country: Yemen

Geneva / Sana'a – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is warning that the situation for thousands of civilians in Yemen is deteriorating fast, following a dramatic increase in fighting. Many civilians have become trapped in the cross-fire.

The situation has significantly worsened in the areas of Al Mokha, Hodeida, Taiz and Dhubab. Families have been unable to escape due to the intense fighting.

"Civilians are at risk of paying an even heavier price as the fighting continues. We call on all parties involved to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law. They must take every feasible precaution to avoid harming civilians and those no longer taking part in hostilities," said Robert Mardini, ICRC's regional director for the Near and Middle East.

Those who wish to leave for safer areas must be allowed to do so at any time. Those who choose to stay, or who are unable to leave, remain protected by international humanitarian law. The wounded – civilians and combatants – must receive medical care as promptly as possible. Fighters who have surrendered or been captured must not be killed and must be treated humanely.

"We have requested access to Al Mokha, and other affected areas, and we stand ready to deliver much needed aid to the civilian population", added Mr. Mardini.

For further information, please contact:
Soumaya Beltifa , ICRC Sana'a, tel: + 967 73 607 19 67
Adnan Hizam, ICRC Sana'a, tel: + 967 73 372 1659
Iolanda Jaquemet, ICRC Geneva, +41 79 447 37 26

Source: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Country: Yemen

GENEVA (10 February 2017) – Extremely worrying reports suggest that civilians and civilian objects have been targeted, in violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, over the past two weeks, in the southwestern port of Al Mokha in Taizz Governorate in Yemen.

While the intense fighting – both ground fighting and airstrikes – made it impossible for UN Human Rights Office field monitors to access the area and to verify the number of civilian casualties, credible reports indicate that civilians were caught in an intolerable situation between warring parties giving them opposing instructions. The Popular Committees Affiliated with the Houthis and their allies warned civilians not to leave their homes while pro-Government and Coalition forces were demanding that they evacuate. Credible reports indicate that Houthi-affiliated snipers shot at families attempting to flee their homes in Houthi-controlled areas – suggesting the use of civilians as human shields.

In at least one incident, on 22 January, 11 civilians were reportedly killed and four injured inside a house that was struck by an airstrike. According to reports, more than 200 houses have been either partially damaged or completely destroyed by airstrikes, which also hit Al Mokha Port.

Reports indicate that pro-Government forces yesterday took over the Al Maghini and Al Hali areas of Al Mokha city, placing the whole city and port under Government control. The last shelling incident was recorded late last night.

“Civilians were trapped and targeted during the Al Mokha fighting. There are real fears that the situation will repeat itself in the port of Al Hudaidah, to the north of Al Mokha, where air strikes are already intensifying,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said. “The already catastrophic humanitarian situation in the country could spiral further downwards if Al Hudaidah port – a key entry point for imports into Yemen – is seriously damaged.”

The UN estimates that around 12 million people are facing famine in Yemen, with 3.3 million people - including 2.1 million children - already acutely malnourished.

“Yemenis have found themselves in a calamitous situation that was entirely man-made, living in constant fear of violence, death and destruction and reeling from hunger,” Zeid said. 

“I once again appeal to the humanity of the parties to this conflict and I remind them of their obligation under international humanitarian law to take constant care to spare the civilian population. Any intentional, direct attack against civilians or civilian objects is considered a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”

“Extremely serious violations of international law, including possible war crimes, have been documented with alarming frequency since the beginning of this armed conflict in Yemen almost two years ago. While my Office is currently implementing the Human Rights Council resolution* requesting us to work with the national independent commission of inquiry, I call, again, for an independent international investigation to break the climate of impunity in Yemen, to give pause to those planning and carrying out these attacks. The international community needs to make it clear that there will be consequences for a failure to respect international law.”

ENDS

Human Rights Council Resolution 33/16 of October 2016 can be found here: http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/RES/33/16

To read the Human Rights Council-mandated report of the High Commissioner on the situation in Yemen, August 2016, visit: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/MENARegion/Pages/YemenReport.aspx

For media inquiries, please contact Rupert Colville (+41 22 917 9767 / rcolville@ohchr.org ) or Ravina Shamdasani (+41 22 917 9169 / rshamdasani@ohchr.org) or Liz Throssell (+41 22 917 9466 / ethrossell@ohchr.org)

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Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Country: Yemen

The number of food insecure people in **Yemen** has risen by 3 million in seven months, with an estimated 17.1 million people now struggling to feed themselves, according to a joint assessment by three UN agencies. Of the 17.1 million food insecure people, about 7.3 million are considered to be in need of emergency food assistance.

The preliminary results of the Emergency Food Security and Nutrition Assessment (EFSNA) show that food security and nutrition conditions are deteriorating rapidly due to the ongoing conflict. More than two-thirds of Yemen's population of 27.4 million people now lack access to food and consume an inadequate diet.

The EFSNA is a joint survey conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) in cooperation with the authorities in **Yemen**. It is the first national, household-level assessment conducted in the country since the escalation of the conflict in mid-March 2015.

Rates of **acute malnutrition** were found to have passed the "critical" threshold in four governorates, while agricultural production is falling across the country."The speed at which the situation is deteriorating and the huge jump in food insecure people is extremely worrying," said Salah Hajj Hassan, FAO Representative in Yemen. "Bearing in mind that agriculture is the main source of livelihood for the majority of the population, FAO is urgently calling for funds to scale up its agricultural livelihoods support to farmers, herders and fishing communities to improve their access to food in 2017 and prevent the dire food and livelihood security situation from deteriorating further."

"We are witnessing some of the highest numbers of malnutrition amongst children in Yemen in recent times. Children who are severely and acutely malnourished are 11 times more at risk of death as compared to their healthy peers, if not treated on time. Even if they survive, these children risk not fulfilling their developmental potentials, posing a serious threat to an entire generation in Yemen and keeping the country mired in the vicious cycle of poverty and under development," said Dr Meritxell Relano, UNICEF Representative in Yemen.

"The current level of **hunger in Yemen** is unprecedented, which is translating into severe hardship and negative humanitarian consequences for millions of Yemenis, particularly affecting vulnerable groups," said Stephen Anderson, WFP Country Director in Yemen. "Tragically, we see more and more families skipping meals or going to bed hungry, while children and mothers are slipping away with little to sustain themselves. WFP is urgently calling for support to provide food for the seven million people who are severely food insecure and may not survive this situation for much longer."

Food Security

The **severe food insecurity situation** in the country has worsened sharply in recent months, with an estimated 65 percent of households now food insecure. In addition, three-quarters of all households indicate that their economic situation is worse now than before the crisis. Incomes have fallen and many public-sector workers have gone for months without being paid. As a result, 80 percent of Yemenis are in now in debt, and more than half of all households have had to buy food on credit. Many households - 60 percent - have resorted to negative coping mechanisms such as eating less preferred foods, reducing portions or skipping meals altogether.

Malnutrition

The EFSNA results show that over 2 million children are **acutely malnourished**. In four governorates - Abyan, Al Hudaydah, Hadramaut, and Taizz, - malnutrition rates have passed the "emergency" threshold, meaning an acute malnutrition rate of more than 15 percent. In seven governorates - namely Aden, Al Dhale'e, Al Jawf, Al Mahwit, Hajjah, Lahj, and Shabwah - rates now exceed the "serious" threshold, which indicates an acute malnutrition rate of more than 10 percent.

Agriculture

The agriculture sector is the main source of livelihood for at least 60 percent of Yemeni households. The livelihoods of this critical segment of the population have been hit hard with agricultural production falling drastically in 2016, compared to pre-crisis levels.

Up to 1.5 million households engaged in **agriculture** now lack access to critical agricultural inputs (including seeds, fertiliser, fuel for irrigation) and are in urgent need of emergency agricultural support. Of these, 860 000 households engaged in livestock production lack access to animal feed (fodder, concentrate, mineral blocks) and many livestock-dependent households have been forced to sell their herds to cater for other household needs. Meanwhile, inadequate control of crop and livestock disease further erodes an already struggling agricultural sector and requires emergency protection and safeguarding of assets.

FAO's work

FAO's emergency work in 2017 focuses on four main areas of activity: providing agriculture kits and tools, as well as vegetable kits and irrigation systems to vulnerable households to improve families' access to food; emergency protection of livestock  by vaccinating millions of animals; providing emergency support to improve and diversify income and livelihoods with cash-for-work programmes, poultry, bee keeping, and fishing; and strengthening the coordination of institutional food security and agriculture responses while building **resilience**. FAO is urgently requesting $48.4 million to scale up its response and assist 3 million of the most vulnerable people in Yemen in 2017.

UNICEF's work

In the last two years alone, UNICEF has supported the treatment of 460 000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition across Yemen. The children's agency has also provided under- five children with vitamin supplements and vaccines, besides distributing medicines and medical equipment, nutritional supplies, and assistance for injured children.

UNICEF has also supported school rehabilitation and construction, distributed unconditional humanitarian cash transfers and hygiene kits to the most vulnerable, fuel to run water corporations and water trucking for the millions displaced, including those caught in the fighting in Taizz, Saada and elsewhere. UNICEF is urgently requesting $237 million to continue its work in Yemen.

WFP's work

WFP is working to provide urgent food assistance through direct food distributions and food vouchers to nearly seven million people across Yemen. WFP is also providing nutritional support to nursing and pregnant women, as well as children suffering from, or at risk of, moderate acute malnutrition.As part of the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan for 2017, WFP appealed for more than $950 million to support over seven million people in Yemen this year.

The preliminary EFSNA results have been incorporated into the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen, also released this week. The findings will also be used to prepare the next **Integrated Food Security Phase Classification** (IPC) for Yemen, which is scheduled for release in March. Additional analysis is being conducted on the EFSNA results and a final report will be released in March.

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Country: Yemen

17.1 million
people food insecure (EFSNA preliminary results February 2017)

3 million
people targeted by FAO in 2017

USD 48.4 million
appealed for by FAO under the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen

Key Points

• Yemen is facing the largest food security emergency in the world. Without immediate action, the situation is likely to worsen in 2017.

• An estimated 17.1 million people are food insecure and struggling to feed themselves – an increase of 3 million in 7 months – according to preliminary results from the Emergency Food Security and Nutrition Assessment (EFSNA). This includes 7.3 million people who are severely food insecure.

• Yemen’s agriculture production has severely declined in 2016 compared to pre-conflict levels, which is devastating for 60 percent of Yemenis relying on agriculture for their livelihoods.

• Almost 1.3 million households are in need of emergency agricultural support (EFSNA).

• Current estimates indicate that existing supplies of wheat in the country will last until the end of March 2017. There is a serious risk of a disruption in wheat imports as companies struggle to obtain credit from banks. If private imports cease, quick mitigation measures by local authorities and international actors will be critical.

• FAO urgently needs USD 48.4 million to fund its emergency livelihoods response in Yemen in 2017.

Source: World Food Programme, Logistics Cluster Country: Yemen

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Country: Yemen

In Yemen, fighting in coastal districts (Al Mokha and Dhubab) in the western governorate of Taizz is spreading inland (into the districts of Al Wazi’iyah and Mawza). A result is that more than 34,000 people have fled their homes. Some 28,000 have been displaced to other districts of Taizz, while another 2,600 individuals have fled to the neighboring governorate of Al Hudaydah. A few have also been displaced eastwards (to Lahj and Ibb governorates).

UNHCR has mobilized assessment teams across displacement sites in Hudaydah, Ibb and the district of Maqbanah in Taizz, where recently displaced people are being hosted and began deliveries of emergency assistance, including basic relief items and emergency shelter.

In Hudaydah, UNHCR distributions of relief items, including mattresses, sleeping mats, blankets, kitchen sets, buckets and emergency shelter are ongoing for 3,633 displaced individuals. Further distributions for newly displaced people in other districts across Hudaydah governorate are also planned to cover the needs of 5,131 individuals, subject to access permits and security considerations. UNHCR is also delivering assistance to 301 individuals in Ibb, who have been displaced from Al Mokha and Dhubab.

UNHCR is also currently negotiating deliveries of emergency assistance to 6,342 individuals in Maqbanah in Taizz. Owing to ongoing military operations, humanitarian access remains a key challenge but UNHCR has been engaged in intense negotiations with relevant authorities to deliver assistance in hard-to-reach areas.

As hostilities intensify, the situation on the ground has also become increasingly hazardous for UNHCR field staff. On Tuesday, two of our staff narrowly escaped a missile that fell close to their vehicle in Az Zaydiyah, less than 60 kilometres away from Hudaydah city. Our colleagues were unharmed, though badly shaken by the incident.

In addition to the situation in Taizz governorate, the conflict is resulting in a deterioration of conditions all across Yemen. Despite the fact that the country is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, the necessary financial support to respond to the crisis in Yemen remains woefully inadequate.

We are appealing for urgent international support to respond to critical and prioritized needs as our operations in Yemen face a critical shortfall in funding. Though already two months into the year, we have received less than one per cent of the resources we need for our operations in Yemen and the lack of support is severely restricting our capacity to respond.

As of 1 February 2017, UNHCR had received only US$738,303 of the US$99.6 million we need for our operational response in Yemen this year.

For further information:
In Sana’a, Shabia MANTOO, mantoo@unhcr.org, on +967 71 222 5121
In Geneva, William SPINDLER, spindler@unhcr.org, on +41 22 739 8956 or +41 79 217 3011

Source: UN News Service Country: Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iraq, Lao People's Democratic Republic (the), Syrian Arab Republic, World, Yemen

9 février 2017 – L'action antimines des Nations Unies a besoin de 511 millions de dollars pour mener à bien ses projets en 2017 et cela représente une augmentation de 50% par rapport à l'appel consolidé de l'année dernière, qui s'élevait à 347 millions de dollars.

Cet action antimines comprend le déminage, l'éducation aux risques et l'assistance aux victimes, dans les situations de conflit et d'après conflit dans le monde, a précisé le Service d'action antimines des Nations Unies (UNMAS) dans un communiqué de presse.

Les projets d'UNMAS concernent vingt-deux pays et territoires contaminés par des mines terrestres et d'autres engins explosifs tels que des munitions à fragmentation non explosées, des roquettes et des engins explosifs improvisés en Afrique, en Asie, en Europe, au Moyen-Orient et en Amérique du Sud. Au total plus de 200 projets ont été élaborés par les groupes de coordination de l'action antimines au niveau national.

"Dans le monde entier, les conflits qui déchirent des pays et des communautés causent une augmentation tragique du nombre de décès dus aux mines terrestres et à d'autres engins explosifs. Il est absolument nécessaire de mener une action humanitaire contre les mines. La connaissance et la volonté d'aider sont là, c'est un financement adéquat qui manque", a déclaré la Directrice d'UNMAS, Agnès Marcaillou.

L'Afghanistan (124 millions de dollars), l'Iraq (75 millions de dollars), la Syrie (52 millions de dollars) et le Yémen (17 millions de dollars) ont les besoins de financement les plus élevés. En outre, les pays qui ont une importante contamination résiduelle, tels que le Cambodge (23 millions de dollars) et le Laos (26 millions de dollars), ont encore besoin de ressources.

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Country: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen

123.7 required for 2017
4.3 M contributions received, representing 3% of requirements
119.5 M funding gap for the Yemen situation

All figures are displayed in USD

Source: Security Council Report Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, South Sudan, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, World, Yemen

One of the Security Council’s most important tasks—and one of the things it does least well—is to prevent conflict. In recent years, the Council, among other international actors, has struggled to prevent the outbreak and escalation of conflicts in Syria, South Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen, among other situations. Yet the Council does possess several tools to prevent conflict, which is one of its core responsibilities under the UN Charter.

Can the Security Council Prevent Conflict? is our first research report on conflict prevention. The report addresses the factors that inhibit the Council’s ability to prevent or mitigate conflict, gives a brief historical background of its debates and efforts regarding conflict prevention in the post-Cold War period and discusses some of the ways in which it can improve its preventive work.

The report argues that the Security Council needs to spend more time addressing country situations in a preventive mode, rather than debating conflict prevention mainly at the thematic level. It suggests that the Council could make better use of the tools at its disposal in accordance with Chapter VI of the UN Charter, giving political backing to the good offices of the Secretary-General or other mediators, engaging in more interactive discussions among senior diplomats on emerging and evolving crises, making more strategic use of visiting missions and encouraging increased involvement of the elected members in proposing initiatives.

Few issues at the UN receive more discussion and attention than how the world body can improve its conflict prevention work. Every few years, there appears to be a surge of interest in this issue, brought on by the conviction that the UN system must do a better job of preventing conflict. Renewed interest today is with good reason. New wars have erupted in Mali, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, among other cases, while political solutions to longstanding conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Darfur, for example, have proved elusive, with civilians suffering the brunt of the fighting. Humanitarian crises have become more pronounced, and there are now approximately 65 million people displaced by conflict worldwide, the highest number since the establishment of the UN in the wake of World War II.

As the body responsible for maintaining international peace and security, the UN Security Council’s conflict prevention role is perhaps more pertinent now than at any other time in the post-Cold War era. And yet, despite strong rhetorical support for prevention, the Council struggles to translate its words into deeds, as concrete, meaningful preventive action is too often lacking. Instead, the Council sags under the weight of managing multiple crises, heavily burdened by its conflict management agenda and expending significant time pursuing thematic discussions that could be better spent focusing on specific situations.

This report seeks to address one basic issue: can the Security Council prevent conflict? It is clear that the Council faces significant political and operational obstacles in discharging its prevention responsibilities. Nonetheless, preventing conflict is one of its most significant responsibilities under the UN Charter, and there are opportunities for this organ to sharpen and expand its preventive capacities.

In exploring this issue, the report is divided into five sections:

• First, the report explores what the UN Charter has to say about conflict prevention and why this is central to the Council.
• Second, the report explores the current political and operational hindrances that make it so difficult for this organ to play a more effective preventive role.
  
• Third, it provides an overview of the Council’s conflict prevention efforts since the end of the Cold War. Understanding how the Council has addressed this issue in the past provides the contextual background for its current preventive efforts.
  
• Fourth, the report analyses the preventive tools available to the Council.
  
• A fifth and final section offers some observations and options for how the preventive work of the Council can be strengthened.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Yemen

HIGHLIGHTS

• Livelihoods destroyed

• 12 million targeted for assistance

• Yemen Pooled Fund expands engagement with national partners

• Over 1.3 million people in access restricted areas across Yemen

“I have nothing left to sell, except my soul.”

Airstrikes on Amran’s Cement Factory

What used to be a production site teeming with workers and the noise from cement machines is now almost abandoned. The state-run Amran Cement Plant used to produce 1.5 million tons of cement yearly and was the heart of the governorate’s economy and the pride of its inhabitants and its workers. It has been almost a year since a series of airstrikes hit the plant in 2016, badly damaging it and leaving its 1,529 employees out of work. Only a few of them have managed to find alternative employment.

Some 18 people were killed and 42 badly injured during the airstrikes. “The decision to stop the machines was not an easy one”, explains Yahya Ahmed Abuhalfah, chairman of the factory. The inability to rehabilitate the plant, cover loses, estimated at $100 million, and guarantee the safety of the employees forced managers to close and workers to stay home. “The plant was my second home”, says Abdullah Saleh Naif, 40 years old, “I was spending more time in the plant than in my house”. Abdullah also lost his son and coworker in the attacks. On top of this, he said, “My wife had gold, we sold it all. Today I have nothing left to sell, except my soul” he adds.

It is estimated that around 54,000 people, including employees, casual workers and residents were directly affected by the closure of the plant. This without counting the impact on the Al Barh Cement Factory in Taizz Governorate and the Bajil Cement Factory in Al Hudaydah Governorate, both heavily reliant on the Amran factory for raw materials and other inputs and now both shut down.
Abdullah Mohammed al-Haimi, in his late 50s, worked in the Amran plant all his life. For 35 years, he would wake up before sunset, pray, spend some time with his children and then go to work. “I can barely find food to put on the table for my family now”, he says.

The Amran factory used to also play a social and humanitarian role. “When the shortage of fuel started to occur in the country, the plant continued providing fuel to hospitals, private and public, and helped support water pumps”, says a former technical manager of the factory. Today, the administration can no longer afford any of their commitments to workers due to a great shortage of funds. In addition to their salaries, the employees are also no longer receiving their medical allocations, especially for chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease.

Mass unemployment crisis

Conflict and insecurity resulting in an economic breakdown across Yemen has seen over 70 per cent of small and medium enterprises lay off half of their workforce since the conflict escalated in March 2015. Some 65 per cent of fishermen have lost their job. The fight for influence over the Central Bank of Yemen, despite assurances by warring parties that it would be allowed to function outside of the conflict has caused a liquidity problem. It is causing 1.5 million civil servants to receive salary payments sporadically, every couple of months, and is affecting close to one third of the entire population across the country. Most have lost, not only, purchasing power for food, but also for other essential goods and services. The economy of Yemen, the poorest Arab country in the region, continues to collapse and the country remains in a mass and endemic unemployment crisis, with many of the middle class now being pushed below the poverty line.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Yemen

Intense conflict since March 2015 has created a vast humanitarian crisis in Yemen. An estimated 18.8 million people need some form of humanitarian or protection assistance, including 10.3 million who are in acute need. High levels of food insecurity and malnutrition, large scale displacement, and declining health and social services are impacting the lives of millions. Collapsing social protection safety nets and a faltering economy require immediate action to avert a greater humanitarian catastrophe. National and international humanitarian partners aim to reach 12 million people with direct assistance in 2017.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Yemen

The Governorate Dashboards present information on the humanitarian situation and action taking place per governorate and cluster in humanitarian hubs across the country, in response to the 2016 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (YHRP).

Source: UN Mine Action Service Country: Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iraq, Lao People's Democratic Republic (the), Syrian Arab Republic, World, Yemen

Geneva, 6 February 2017. The latest United Nations Portfolio of Mine Action projects shows a sharp increase in the need for humanitarian mine action, including landmine clearance, risk education and victim assistance, in conflict and post-conflict settings around the world. The online Portfolio of Mine Action Projects 2017 presents an overall requirement for USD 511 million, a 50% increase from last year’s USD 347 million consolidated appeal.

The 2017 Portfolio presents a consolidated picture of the needs and strategies of twenty-two countries and territories contaminated with landmines and other explosive hazards such as unexploded cluster munitions, rockets and improvised explosive devices across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America. The Portfolio presents over 200 projects that have been developed by the Mine Action Coordination groups at the country level in line with national mine action strategies.

Ms. Agnès Marcaillou, Director of the United Nations Mine Action Service and Chair of the United Nations Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action, said: “Across the world the conflicts tearing countries, communities and lives apart cause a tragic increase in the number of casualties due to landmines and other explosive hazards. There is an absolute necessity for a humanitarian mine action response. The knowledge and willingness to help are there – it is adequate funding that is missing.” The highest funding requirements are found in the active conflict zones of Afghanistan (USD 124 million), Iraq (USD 75 million), Syria (USD 52 million) and Yemen (USD 17 million). In addition, needs remain in countries which have extensive residual contamination, such as Cambodia (USD 23 million) and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (USD 26 million).

The user-friendly online portfolio is available at http://www.mineaction.org/resources/portfolios and includes interactive options, such as graphs and charts summarising the needs according to country, region and area of work.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Flora Sutherland, UNMAS New York. Email: sutherlandf@un.org

Source: INFORM Index for Risk Management Country: Afghanistan, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, World, Yemen

The INFORM Global Risk Index measures the risk of a country experiencing a humanitarian crisis that would overwhelm national capacity and lead to a need for international assistance.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, World, Yemen

Worldwide, humanitarian needs are rising, driven by conflicts that know no end, and chronic natural disasters whose effects last for years. Today more than 128 million people in 33 countries need humanitarian aid to survive — a figure not seen since the Second World War. “With this staggering level of need, now more than ever, world leaders need to step up their support to the world’s most vulnerable people,” says the UN’s Humanitarian Chief, Stephen O’Brien. “Those who are already giving need to continue their support, while new actors must also seize the opportunity to save lives.” Here, we outline 12 forgotten crises that rarely make the headlines but urgently need support this year.

Afghanistan

Last year, the number of people forced to flee their homes in Afghanistan reached over 1 million as violence mounted in the northern and southern regions, where the Taliban has taken over swaths of the country. “Families have lost their homes and livelihoods. Displaced people are living in tents, unable to feed their children who have had little or no education,” said Humanitarian Chief, O’Brien following a trip to Afghanistan last year. “This pattern of prolonged conflict must end to avoid another generation of children being lost to war and suffering.”Alarming levels of malnutrition now affect 2.7 million people, 1 million of them children under age 5.

Central African Republic

Over the past four years, Central African Republic has experienced a major political crisis. This has resulted in a violent conflict that has affected almost the entire population and left some 2.3 million people, over half the population, in dire need of assistance.

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

About 60 per cent of the population in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is considered to be food insecure — in other words, 15 million out of 24.9 million people. One quarter of the population does not have access to essential health services, and 1.7 million children are at risk of deadly childhood diseases.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Armed conflict and insecurity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have created one of the world’s most protracted and complex humanitarian crises. In 2016, 7.3 million people were affected by regional and local armed conflict, especially in the mineral-rich eastern part of the country. Insecurity is now mounting in the Kasai and Tanganyika provinces, affecting hundreds of thousands of people, and leading to fears of further displacement.

The Lake Chad Basin

Boko Haram-related violence in the four countries that border Lake Chad (Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria) has affected 30 million people and forced 11 million to need urgent assistance. Homes have been torched, possessions looted and livelihoods destroyed, forcing people to flee, blocking them from farming and fishing, and leading to border closures. The result is a dramatic rise in hunger levels, while tens of thousands of people in north-east Nigeria are living in famine conditions.

Libya

Armed conflict, political instability and a collapsing economy have disrupted the lives of 3 million people across Libya. Once a middle-income country, Libya is now home to 2.4 million people who need protection or assistance, as they have little or no access to health care, sufficient food, clean water, homes or schools. This includes the forcibly displaced, refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants, who traveled to Libya in search of work.

Madagascar

Two successive years of drought, exacerbated by El Niño, have left 850,000 people in need of help in Madagascar. In the worst-affected areas, families are resorting to selling their assets and land, eating cacti and seeds for food, and migrating in search of more-fertile conditions.

Mali

Despite a 2015 peace deal between the Government and armed groups, armed attacks, banditry and insecurity prevail in northern Mali. The insecurity continues to force people to flee their homes, stopping farming and disrupting pastoralist routes that are an economic mainstay in the north.

The Sahel

The Sahel comprises parts of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal — countries that between them have some of the highest poverty levels and lowest human development indicators in the world. Even in a good year, i.e., when the rains are on time and in sufficient quantity, millions of people will face hunger and malnutrition in the Sahel. In 2017, an astonishing 30 million people here (just under half the population of Britain) will not have enough to eat.

Somalia

After more than two decades of violence, Somalia is making progress on the political front, but acute humanitarian needs persist. Flooding, drought, conflict, persistent protection challenges and disease outbreaks contribute to Somalia’s fragility, exacerbated by displacement and returns of Somalis from neighbouring countries. This year 6.2 million people — or more than half of the country’s population — need assistance.

Uganda

Uganda is now a safe haven for refugees from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. It is currently hosting 865,385 refugees, the vast majority of them from South Sudan. Hunger levels are expected to increase this year due to poor rainfall.

Yemen

In Yemen a child under age 5 dies every 10 minutes of preventable causes. Armed conflict continues to intensify in Yemen, with daily air strikes and armed clashes. This, combined with structural poverty and chronic drought means 10.3 million are reliant on humanitarian assistance, making Yemen the largest food security emergency in the world.

None of the 37 countries that were part of the 2016 Global Humanitarian Appeal received 100 per cent of their humanitarian funding needs, but each of the above crises received less than 40 per cent. Twice a year, the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocates underfunded grants to the least funded emergencies with the highest levels of risk, vulnerability and humanitarian need. This is determined by analysing funding levels; vulnerability indicators, such as FEWS NET food insecurity data; INFORM conflict-risk data; human rights indicators; and other information. On 30 January, CERF released $100 million to help more than 6 million people in nine of the above-mentioned severely underfunded crises: Cameroon, DPRK, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia and Uganda. Eight of the nine recipients are in Africa and will receive 94 per cent of the allocation.

Source: World Health Organization Country: Yemen

Essentially the health system in Yemen is extremely challenged and highly dependent on international support.

Currently more than

14.8 million people lack access to basic health care. Less than 45% of health facilities are still functioning. 17% are completely non-functional. At least 274 of those facilities have been damaged or destroyed during the current conflict.

Health care workers have not received their salaries regularly for about 6 months. Medical supplies are in chronic shortage despite extensive support from WHO and Health Cluster members, further complicating the delivery of life-saving health care.

Beyond the direct casualties of the armed conflict, many Yemeni people die in silence and are largely unaccounted for, unnoticed and unrecorded. Girls, boys, women and men are dying of malnutrition and diseases that could be easily preventable and treatable. People with chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney conditions etc. are slowly dying as they lack access to life-sustaining treatments.

Humanitarian partners are increasingly being asked to fill gaps created by the collapsing health institutions, including helping with payment of salaries of health professionals and the procurement of medicines and medical supplies. It is therefore essential for all stakeholders to help stem this collapse, including through selective reengagement and prioritization of interventions and districts to be supported.

During 2016, WHO and our Health Cluster partners targeted 10.6 million people with life-saving health services in Yemen and were able to sustain the functionality of more than 414 health care facilities. Together, we operated 406 health and nutrition mobile teams in 266 districts, conducted 541 child health and nutrition interventions in 323 districts, and vaccinated 4.5 million children against polio.

We thank all Member States that supported the Health Cluster and WHO’s emergency operations in Yemen in 2016 and we encourage you to continue and scale-up your support for this year in order to respond to the increasing needs. The Health Cluster in Yemen is appealing for US$ 322 million, of which WHO is requesting US$ 126 million.

Source: World Food Programme, UN Children's Fund, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Country: Yemen

As Yemen Food Crisis Deteriorates, UN Agencies Appeal For Urgent Assistance To Avert A Catastrophe

Joint assessment finds that conflict has left more than two-thirds of people in Yemen struggling to feed themselves

SANA’A – The number of food insecure people in Yemen has risen by three million in seven months, with an estimated 17.1 million people now struggling to feed themselves, according to a joint assessment by three UN agencies.

Of the 17.1 million food insecure people, about 7.3 million are considered to be in need of emergency food assistance.

The preliminary results of the Emergency Food Security and Nutrition Assessment (EFSNA) show that food security and nutrition conditions are deteriorating rapidly due to the ongoing conflict.

More than two-thirds of Yemen’s population of 27.4 million people now lack access to food and consume an inadequate diet.

The EFSNA is a joint survey conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) in cooperation with the authorities in Yemen. It is the first national, household-level assessment conducted in the country since the escalation of the conflict in mid-March 2015.

Rates of acute malnutrition were found to have passed the “critical” threshold in four governorates, while agricultural production is falling across the country.

"The speed at which the situation is deteriorating and the huge jump in food insecure people is extremely worrying,” said Salah Hajj Hassan, FAO Representative in Yemen. “Bearing in mind that agriculture is the main source of livelihood for the majority of the population, FAO is urgently calling for funds to scale up its agricultural livelihoods support to farmers, herders and fishing communities to improve their access to food in 2017 and prevent the dire food and livelihood security situation from deteriorating further.”

“We are witnessing some of the highest numbers of malnutrition amongst children in Yemen in recent times. Children who are severely and acutely malnourished are 11 times more at risk of death as compared to their healthy peers, if not treated on time. Even if they survive, these children risk not fulfilling their developmental potentials, posing a serious threat to an entire generation in Yemen and keeping the country mired in the vicious cycle of poverty and under development,” said Dr Meritxell Relano, UNICEF Representative in Yemen.

“The current level of hunger in Yemen is unprecedented, which is translating into severe hardship and negative humanitarian consequences for millions of Yemenis, particularly affecting vulnerable groups,” said Stephen Anderson, WFP Country Director in Yemen. “Tragically, we see more and more families skipping meals or going to bed hungry, while children and mothers are slipping away with little to sustain themselves. WFP is urgently calling for support to provide food for the seven million people who are severely food insecure and may not survive this situation for much longer.”

Food Security

The severe food insecurity situation in the country has worsened sharply in recent months, with an estimated 65 percent of households now food insecure.

In addition, three-quarters of all households indicate that their economic situation is worse now than before the crisis. Incomes have fallen and many public-sector workers have gone for months without being paid. As a result, 80 percent of Yemenis are in now in debt, and more than half of all households have had to buy food on credit.

Many households – 60 percent – have resorted to negative coping mechanisms such as eating less preferred foods, reducing portions or skipping meals altogether.

Malnutrition

The EFSNA results show that over two million children are acutely malnourished.

In four governorates – Abyan, Al Hudaydah, Hadramaut, and Taizz, – malnutrition rates have passed the “emergency” threshold, meaning an acute malnutrition rate of more than 15 percent. In seven governorates – namely Aden, Al Dhale'e, Al Jawf, Al Mahwit, Hajjah, Lahj, and Shabwah – rates now exceed the “serious” threshold, which indicates an acute malnutrition rate of more than ten percent.

Agriculture

The agriculture sector is the main source of livelihood for at least 60 percent of Yemeni households. The livelihoods of this critical segment of the population have been hit hard with agricultural production falling drastically in 2016, compared to pre-crisis levels.

Up to 1.5 million households engaged in agriculture now lack access to critical agricultural inputs (including seeds, fertiliser, fuel for irrigation) and are in urgent need of emergency agricultural support. Of these, 860,000 households engaged in livestock production lack access to animal feed (fodder, concentrate, mineral blocks) and many livestock-dependent households have been forced to sell their herds to cater for other household needs.

Meanwhile, inadequate control of crop and livestock disease further erodes an already struggling agricultural sector and requires emergency protection and safeguarding of assets.

FAO’s work

FAO’s emergency work in 2017 focuses on four main areas of activity: providing agriculture kits and tools, as well as vegetable kits and irrigation systems to vulnerable households to improve families’ access to food; emergency protection of livestock by vaccinating millions of animals; providing emergency support to improve and diversify income and livelihoods with cash-for-work programmes, poultry, bee keeping, and fishing; and strengthening the coordination of institutional food security and agriculture responses while building resilience.

FAO is urgently requesting US$48.4 million to scale up its response and assist three million of the most vulnerable people in Yemen in 2017.

UNICEF’s work

In the last two years alone, UNICEF has supported the treatment of 460,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition across Yemen. The children’s agency has also provided under-five children with vitamin supplements and vaccines, besides distributing medicines and medical equipment, nutritional supplies, and assistance for injured children.

UNICEF has also supported school rehabilitation and construction, distributed unconditional humanitarian cash transfers and hygiene kits to the most vulnerable, fuel to run water corporations and water trucking for the millions displaced, including those caught in the fighting in Taizz, Saada and elsewhere.

UNICEF is urgently requesting US$237 million to continue its work in Yemen.

WFP’s work

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.

WFP is working to provide urgent food assistance through direct food distributions and food vouchers to nearly seven million people across Yemen. WFP is also providing nutritional support to nursing and pregnant women, as well as children suffering from, or at risk of, moderate acute malnutrition.

As part of the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan for 2017, WFP appealed for more than US$950 million to support over seven million people in Yemen this year.

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media

The preliminary EFSNA results have been incorporated into the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen, also released this week. The findings will also be used to prepare the next Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) for Yemen, which is scheduled for release in March. Additional analysis is being conducted on the EFSNA results and a final report will be released in March.

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Jane Howard, WFP/Rome, Tel. +39 06 65132321, Mob. +39 346 7600521
Abeer Etefa, WFP/Cairo, Tel. +202 2528 1730 ext. 2600
Bettina Luescher, WFP/Geneva, Tel. +41 22 917 8564, Mob. +41 79 842 8057
Gregory Barrow, WFP/London, Tel. +44 20 72409001, Mob. +44 7968 008474
Gerald Bourke, WFP/New York, Tel. +1 646 556 6909, Mob. +1 646 525 9982

Source: World Food Programme, UN Children's Fund, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Country: Yemen

Joint assessment finds that conflict has left more than two-thirds of people in Yemen struggling to feed themselves

SANA’A – The number of food insecure people in Yemen has risen by three million in seven months, with an estimated 17.1 million people now struggling to feed themselves, according to a joint assessment by three UN agencies.

Of the 17.1 million food insecure people, about 7.3 million are considered to be in need of emergency food assistance.

The preliminary results of the Emergency Food Security and Nutrition Assessment (EFSNA) show that food security and nutrition conditions are deteriorating rapidly due to the ongoing conflict.

More than two-thirds of Yemen’s population of 27.4 million people now lack access to food and consume an inadequate diet.

The EFSNA is a joint survey conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) in cooperation with the authorities in Yemen. It is the first national, household-level assessment conducted in the country since the escalation of the conflict in mid-March 2015.

Rates of acute malnutrition were found to have passed the “critical” threshold in four governorates, while agricultural production is falling across the country.

"The speed at which the situation is deteriorating and the huge jump in food insecure people is extremely worrying,” said Salah Hajj Hassan, FAO Representative in Yemen. “Bearing in mind that agriculture is the main source of livelihood for the majority of the population, FAO is urgently calling for funds to scale up its agricultural livelihoods support to farmers, herders and fishing communities to improve their access to food in 2017 and prevent the dire food and livelihood security situation from deteriorating further.”

“We are witnessing some of the highest numbers of malnutrition amongst children in Yemen in recent times. Children who are severely and acutely malnourished are 11 times more at risk of death as compared to their healthy peers, if not treated on time. Even if they survive, these children risk not fulfilling their developmental potentials, posing a serious threat to an entire generation in Yemen and keeping the country mired in the vicious cycle of poverty and under development,” said Dr Meritxell Relano, UNICEF Representative in Yemen.

“The current level of hunger in Yemen is unprecedented, which is translating into severe hardship and negative humanitarian consequences for millions of Yemenis, particularly affecting vulnerable groups,” said Stephen Anderson, WFP Country Director in Yemen. “Tragically, we see more and more families skipping meals or going to bed hungry, while children and mothers are slipping away with little to sustain themselves. WFP is urgently calling for support to provide food for the seven million people who are severely food insecure and may not survive this situation for much longer.”

Food Security

The severe food insecurity situation in the country has worsened sharply in recent months, with an estimated 65 percent of households now food insecure.

In addition, three-quarters of all households indicate that their economic situation is worse now than before the crisis. Incomes have fallen and many public-sector workers have gone for months without being paid. As a result, 80 percent of Yemenis are in now in debt, and more than half of all households have had to buy food on credit.

Many households – 60 percent – have resorted to negative coping mechanisms such as eating less preferred foods, reducing portions or skipping meals altogether.

Malnutrition

The EFSNA results show that over two million children are acutely malnourished.

In four governorates – Abyan, Al Hudaydah, Hadramaut, and Taizz, – malnutrition rates have passed the “emergency” threshold, meaning an acute malnutrition rate of more than 15 percent. In seven governorates – namely Aden, Al Dhale'e, Al Jawf, Al Mahwit, Hajjah, Lahj, and Shabwah – rates now exceed the “serious” threshold, which indicates an acute malnutrition rate of more than ten percent.

Agriculture

The agriculture sector is the main source of livelihood for at least 60 percent of Yemeni households. The livelihoods of this critical segment of the population have been hit hard with agricultural production falling drastically in 2016, compared to pre-crisis levels.

Up to 1.5 million households engaged in agriculture now lack access to critical agricultural inputs (including seeds, fertiliser, fuel for irrigation) and are in urgent need of emergency agricultural support. Of these, 860,000 households engaged in livestock production lack access to animal feed (fodder, concentrate, mineral blocks) and many livestock-dependent households have been forced to sell their herds to cater for other household needs.

Meanwhile, inadequate control of crop and livestock disease further erodes an already struggling agricultural sector and requires emergency protection and safeguarding of assets.

FAO’s work

FAO’s emergency work in 2017 focuses on four main areas of activity: providing agriculture kits and tools, as well as vegetable kits and irrigation systems to vulnerable households to improve families’ access to food; emergency protection of livestock by vaccinating millions of animals; providing emergency support to improve and diversify income and livelihoods with cash-for-work programmes, poultry, bee keeping, and fishing; and strengthening the coordination of institutional food security and agriculture responses while building resilience.

FAO is urgently requesting US$48.4 million to scale up its response and assist three million of the most vulnerable people in Yemen in 2017.

UNICEF’s work

In the last two years alone, UNICEF has supported the treatment of 460,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition across Yemen. The children’s agency has also provided under-five children with vitamin supplements and vaccines, besides distributing medicines and medical equipment, nutritional supplies, and assistance for injured children.

UNICEF has also supported school rehabilitation and construction, distributed unconditional humanitarian cash transfers and hygiene kits to the most vulnerable, fuel to run water corporations and water trucking for the millions displaced, including those caught in the fighting in Taizz, Saada and elsewhere.

UNICEF is urgently requesting US$237 million to continue its work in Yemen.

WFP’s work

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.

WFP is working to provide urgent food assistance through direct food distributions and food vouchers to nearly seven million people across Yemen. WFP is also providing nutritional support to nursing and pregnant women, as well as children suffering from, or at risk of, moderate acute malnutrition.

As part of the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan for 2017, WFP appealed for more than US$950 million to support over seven million people in Yemen this year.

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media

The preliminary EFSNA results have been incorporated into the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen, also released this week. The findings will also be used to prepare the next Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) for Yemen, which is scheduled for release in March. Additional analysis is being conducted on the EFSNA results and a final report will be released in March.

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Jane Howard, WFP/Rome, Tel. +39 06 65132321, Mob. +39 346 7600521
Abeer Etefa, WFP/Cairo, Tel. +202 2528 1730 ext. 2600
Bettina Luescher, WFP/Geneva, Tel. +41 22 917 8564, Mob. +41 79 842 8057
Gregory Barrow, WFP/London, Tel. +44 20 72409001, Mob. +44 7968 008474
Gerald Bourke, WFP/New York, Tel. +1 646 556 6909, Mob. +1 646 525 9982

Source: World Health Organization Country: Yemen

Highlights:

• 22,000 people are affected by intense fighting in Al-Mokha City in Taizz Governorate. More than 8,000 people have fled to Al-Hudaydah and Taizz Governorate to escape, while thousands more remain trapped and caught in the crossfire.

• WHO has deployed a rapid response team to districts receiving internally displaced persons from Al-Mokha City to identify the most urgent health needs.

• WHO has dispatched a mobile medical team to deliver primary health services in affected districts in Al-Hudaydah Governorate and delivered three trauma kits sufficient for 300 surgical interventions to the main hospitals in Bait Al-Fakeeh, Zebeed and Hays districts.

Situation update:

• Fighting in Al-Mokha City, Taizz Governorate has forced almost 1,231 households (more than 8,000 people) to flee to neighboring districts in Al-Hudaydah governorate and Taizz governorate. The majority of internally displaced persons have settled in Jabal Ra’s, Hays, Al-Jarrahi, Al-Khawkha and Attuhayta districts (see table below).

• More than 5,000 people remain trapped in Al-Mokha City and are unable to leave due to the insecurity.

• The influx and movement of internally displaced persons is expected to continue as violence continues and people flee to safer areas.

• According to local health authorities, five civilians have died, and 16 people, including 8 children and 1 woman have been injured and referred to health facilities in Al-Khawkha district.

• Newly displaced people are an additional burden for host communities, who are themselves already vulnerable and living in poverty. Many displaced families are hosted in cramped accommodation among host communities, while many of the new IDPs are living in empty buildings and open spaces.