Yemen: The world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe in UN statistics

YemenExtra

M.A.

A report by the United Nations today on the humanitarian situation in Yemen showed the magnitude of the disaster that has afflicted the Yemeni people in general due to the continuation of the war against the country since 2015.

About 8.4 million Yemenis suffer from acute hunger and seven million malnutrition. Most of the remaining millions will fall into pre-famine conditions and nearly 60 percent of Yemenis do not have access to health care or clean water.

Food security

– 17.8 million people in Yemen suffer from food insecurity, including 8.4 million people suffering from severe food insecurity and starvation.

– About 1.8 million children and 1.1 million pregnant women are malnourished, including 400,000 under-five children who are severely malnourished.

Imports

The port of Hodeidah and Salif are the lifeline for the majority of the necessary imports of food and fuel needed by millions of Yemenis every day to survive. After rising food and fuel imports in May, they declined again in June and again in the month of July.

Humanitarian organizations are deeply concerned about the lack of adequate quantities of imports at reasonable prices through these avenues and demand that conditions be created for shipping companies to have sufficient commercial confidence to continue their business.

Health

16.4 million Yemenis need assistance to ensure adequate access to health care, of which 9.3 million are in dire need, while only 50 percent of health facilities operate at full capacity هn conjunction with the absence of salary payments for health workers.

Cholera: The concern about a possible third wave of the epidemic

– The collapse of health care and the polluted water, sanitation and hygiene facilities will continue to spread infectious diseases that pose a serious threat to the lives of millions. Yemen faces the worst outbreak of cholera with more than a million suspected cases reported by the end of December 2017.

– A total of 133,000 cases of cholera have been confirmed this year. The third wave of cholera began in mid-July this year throughout Yemen, and is now at a high risk.

– Currently, there are 56 treatment centers for diarrhea (DTC) in 39 out of 82 areas at risk. Humanitarian organizations are working to avert the spread of the epidemic on a large scale. In August, they vaccinated some 400,000 people against cholera in high-risk areas like Hodeidah and Ibb, followed by a previous campaign in the city of Aden in May, where these organizations vaccinated nearly 275,000 people.

Humanitarian situation and response in Hodeidah

The armed conflict continues in the province of Hodeidah, where nearly 500,000 people have been displaced since June 1st. Humanitarian organizations have provided relief, hygiene and basic items for those fleeing the fighting.

Finance

Yemen’s aid needs required by the United Nations in 2018 have been estimated at US $ 2.96 billion, of which 65% has been fulfilled.