UN scaling up assistance to aid displaced persons in Yemen

Continuing conflict in southern Yemen is forcing increasing numbers of people from their homes, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said today as the UN scales up its response.

The agency said that it was unable to confirm exact numbers, but that the newly internally displaced persons (IDPs) are adding to an existing problem of at least 40,000 persons forced to seek refuge from Abyan, Lahj, and Aden, all in the southern part of the country.

“IDPs have sought refuge in schools, public buildings and with host families. The humanitarian needs in Aden and Lahj are increasing daily. The IDPs’ main emergency needs consist of basics such as shelter, food, water, protection and health care,” OCHA said.

The agency said the UN and its partners are “scaling up the response to humanitarian repercussions of the ongoing conflict.”

Nationwide, “as of 10 June, approximately 283 people have been killed and 3,617 have been injured since the start of the unrest,” the agency said.

“A fuel shortage is acute throughout the country, including in Abyan,” OCHA said. “In addition to the availability of fuel, transportation and storage of fuel is quite difficult.

“Fuel has been transported to Aden in the south and to Sana’a, but it is particularly difficult to ensure transportation to and storage in Haradh in the north, where it is badly needed for the functionality of refugee and IDP camps.”

Some of the newest IDPs were already displaced from Sa’ada in the north and have now been displaced for a second time, OCHA said.

Marixie Mercado, a spokesperson for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said that as of this month, 40 per cent of the 450,000 children who should have been vaccinated had actually received the lifesaving antigens.

“Since February, violence, insecurity and chronic petrol shortages across the country had led to the closure of 30 per cent of immunization facilities and there are concerns about vaccine safety at the remaining facilities due to the frequent power shortages,” Ms. Mercado told a news briefing in Geneva.

Tarik Jasarevic of the World Health Organization (WHO) told the same briefing that Yemen’s southern governorates are facing an outbreak of diarrhoeal diseases.

Almost all public health services in Abyan were not functional, he said. The diarrhoea outbreak started on April 7 and as of June 15, one hospital had reported 667 patients admitted and another hospital had reported 75 cases.

“The real number of persons affected by diarrhoea might be much higher,” he said, “If immediate action to control the disease was not taken now, the situation could further deteriorate with outbreaks spreading.”

WHO has already begun distributing diarrhoeal kits, he said.

A health programme appeal in Yemen was currently at 21 per cent funded, with $2.9 million received out of $30.7 million requested, he said.

Earlier this month the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that it has been assisting nearly 200,000 refugees and more than 300,000 displaced people in northern Yemen and the escalating conflict is affecting UNHCR’s ability to offer protection and assistance.