YEMEN

HUMANITARIAN Covering 12 March – 18 March UPDATE 2018 | Issue 7

Diphtheria vaccination CAMPAIGN targets 2.7 million children National and international partners have completed a large-scale vaccination campaign with the aim to control the spread of diphtheria in . Targeting nearly 2.7 million children aged six weeks to 15 years in 11 governorates, the campaign focused on locations reporting suspected cases of diphtheria and areas at high risk of spread of the infectious respiratory disease. On the west coast where violence has recently escalated, 835,775 children were targeted in Al Hudaydah, , Al Mahwit and Raymah governorates.

The campaign, supported by WHO and UNICEF, is part of a larger response plan that includes strengthening surveillance and case detection, enhancing laboratory testing capacity, procuring and distributing diphtheria anti-toxins to health facilities, and training and deploying rapid response teams to trace contacts and provide preventive treatment in communities. Health education and awareness campaigns were conducted to teach people how to protect themselves against diphtheria and other infectious diseases.

First reported in October 2017, diphtheria has spread rapidly, infecting more than 1,300 people and killing over 70. Almost 80 per cent of the caseload are children and young adults below 25 years of age. The rapid spread of the disease highlights major gaps in routine vaccination coverage in recent years and signifies a collapsing health system where only half of all health facilities are partially or fully functioning.

In November and December 2017, WHO and UNICEF vaccinated almost 450,000 children under 7 years of age against diphtheria in Ibb – the worst affected governorate accounting for nearly 35 per cent of all reported cases. The current campaign targeted 488,504 people in seven priority districts in Ibb.

Governorates included in the diphtheria campaign

Sa'ada Am. Al Asimah

Hajjah Al Jawf Al Maharah Amran Hadramaut Al Mahwit Marib Sana'a Raymah Shabwah Dhamar Al Hudaydah Ibb Abyan

Taizz Not included Al Bayda Socotra Aden Included Lahj Al Dhale'e Source: WHO

UPDATEs FROM THE HUMANITARIAN HUBS Al Hudaydah: Clashes in the southern areas of Al WFP is planning to support the newly displaced Hudaydah governorate resulted in more IDPs fleeing families by dispatching supplies from Aden since Al southwards. Airstrikes and ground clashes were Khawkhah district is inaccessible from Al Hudaydah reported along frontlines in Hays, Al Tuhayat and Al due to the active hostilities. WFP is supporting 586 Garrahi districts of Al Hudaydah, as well as Haradh and vulnerable families living in Al Garrahi with food Midi districts of Hajjah governorate. An assessment assistance. UNHCR and UNICEF are supporting 410 has identified 2,700 newly displaced families from newly displaced families in the district with non-food Al Khawkhah as well as neighboring Hays and Al items as well as water and sanitation materials. In Zabid Garrahi districts. As of 8 March, some 13,262 displaced district, ICRC has supported 332 displaced families households had reportedly fled the fighting in Al with non-food items and hygiene kits. Hudaydah governorate. Aden: An assessment by a humanitarian partner in supplies, plans are underway to use a shorter route Tuban district, Lahj governorate, found that 65 per between Ibb and Taizz. cent of the estimated 729 displaced households in the governorate were from Al Hudaydah and 26 per cent Sa’ada: Following advocacy efforts by humanitarian from Taizz. More than half of the IDPs are women. Only partners, local authorities have agreed to lift the 46 per cent of the assessed population have access suspension on currently frozen cash interventions in to drinking water and to personal hygiene facilities. support of livelihoods. Another assessment conducted in four districts of (As Said, Habban, Ataq and In Al Jamhouri hospital in Sa’adah city, an oxygen Nisab) found that half of the displaced children are not station is being installed to ensure availability of oxygen attending school, exposing them to the risk of early to meet the needs of the hospital and other health marriage, child labour, recruitment and other types of facilities in the governorate. The installation, which is exploitation. expected to be completed in April, will double oxygen production to about 48 cylinders a day. In Kitaf wa Al Ibb: Civilian displacement and casualties continue Boqe’e district, UNHCR, through an implementing to be reported in Taizz governorate as armed clashes partner, concluded the distribution of non-food items continue, particularly in Maqbana and Salah districts. to 1,000 IDP households. In three isolated areas of the Taizz governorate accounted for the second highest same district, a national humanitarian organisation number of civilian casualties in December 2017 and distributed 850 food baskets to the most vulnerable January 2018. Since the escalation of the conflict in Al households, orphans and IDPs. Hudaydah and Taizz governorates in January, at least 3,590 families have reportedly been displaced within Sana´a: The recent escalation of fighting in Nati’ district Taizz and 371 families within . in has reportedly newly displaced 400 households to other parts of the governorate, while The Danish Refugee Council plans to provide WASH some 200 households have been displaced from Nati’ assistance to IDPs and host communities in Al Mukha to Shabwah in Bayhan and Usaylan districts. district of Taizz. The International Youth Council Yemen will support 150 out of 1,471 new displaced Long queues continue in Sana’a city due to limited families in Maqbanah district. WFP will support the quantities of cooking gas. The price remains at 3,000 remaining caseload. In Ibb, Save the Children started YER/20-liter13,489 cylinder. Reports indicate7,677 that some the implementation of a cash support programme for households had to wait for up to eight days to get one Total households displaced Total households assisted 260 IDP families in Dhi As Sufal district. To enhance the gas cylinder filled. movement of civilians and delivery of humanitarian 3,685 5,980 3,824 displacement in Al Hudaydah/ Taizz HHs HHs HHs displaced in displaced in displaced in Al Hudaydah Aden hub Ibb hub The Shelter Cluster reports that as of 15 March 7,677 displaced householdshub out of 13,489 have been assisted in southern governorates. Displaced vs Assisted 13,489 7,677 16,000 14,000 Total households displaced Total households assisted 12,000 10,000 8,000 3,685 5,980 3,824 6,000 HHs HHs HHs 4,000 displaced in displaced in displaced in 2,000 Al Hudaydah Aden hub Ibb hub 0 hub 28 Jan- 4 Feb- 11 Feb- 18 Feb- 25 Feb- 4 Feb- 11 Mar- 1 Feb 8 Feb 15 Feb 22 Mar 1 Mar 8 Mar 15 Mar Displaced HHs Assisted HHs Source: Shelter cluster Displaced vs Assisted 16,000 H14,000umanitarian Access: focus on Aden humanitarian hub 12,000 In10,000 February 2018, as part of a national access Administrative difficulties are still a factor at the sub- monitoring8,000 initiative, OCHA conducted focus group national level, and have impacted on the ability of discussions6,000 with humanitarian partners in the southern organisations to establish operations and obtain visas governorates.4,000 It was found that areas covered by the for international staff, but these hurdles are less relevant Aden2,000 hub are, in general, relatively accessible. Of the at the district levels in the south. The most prevalent 99 districts0 in the southern governorates, only two in access impediments are related to the challenging 28 Jan- 4 Feb- 11 Feb- 18 Feb- 25 Feb- 4 Feb- 11 Mar- Al Dhale’e1 Feb governorate8 Feb 15 (Damt Feb 22and Mar Juban1 Mar districts)8 Mar are15 Marphysical conditions, including difficult road conditions characterised as having high access constraints due to or remoteness of community locations. Mines and/or their locations atDisplaced or near HHsconflict front lines.Assisted Eighty-five HHs unexploded ordinance were also among the most cited of the 99 districts are fully accessible or have relatively difficulties among national NGOs. low levels of access constraints.

02 Plans to expand the humanitarian footprint to the east The commitment of the humanitarian community to situation in Hadramaut, especially considering the extend its footprint to reach more people in need is recent influx of internally displaced persons from the now materialising with an effort to increase presence conflict-affected south-western coast. in Al Mukalla, making it a hub for activities and coordination in the eastern governorates. The Mukalla hub will enable humanitarian partners to improve the Governorates covered by the humanitarian hubs overall understanding of humanitarian needs, facilitate (as of 01 March 2018) assessments to new locations and expand programming Sa'ada hub Aden hub Sana'a hub to include coordination support to partners in Al Hudaydah hub Ibb hub Al Mukalla hub Shabwah, Hadramaut and Al Maharah governorates. The Humanitarian Pooled Fund (HPF) will be utilised to increase the pool of NGOs best placed to respond to critical humanitarian needs. Already, 15 NGOs in areas SA'ADA AL MAHARAH covered by the Aden hub have received HPF funding in AL JAWF HADRAMAUT 2017; including seven national organisations. HAJJAHAMRAN AMANAT AL ASIMAH AL MAHWIT From 24 February to 3 March, an inter-agency mission SANA'A MARIB AL HUDAYDAH SHABWAH Al Mukalla DHAMAR to Mukalla and Sayun (Hadramaut) met government RAYMAH authorities to discuss how to best roll out strategic IBB AL BAYDA priorities identified in the response plan, and to AL DHALE'E ABYAN TAIZZ Planned SOCOTRA identify existing coordination mechanisms. A follow-up LAHJ mission is planned for 26 –31 March, with the aim to ADEN reach agreement on next steps with the authorities as Source: UNOCHA well as do preliminary assessments of the humanitarian

Market monitoring The monthly average retail prices of monitored local cereal commodity prices significantly increased in imported basic food commodities continued to show an February. increased trend in February, according to the monthly Market Monitoring report produced by the Ministry of A WASH Cluster Price Monitoring Analysis during the Planning and International Cooperation (MoPIC) and first weeks of 2018 indicates that prices of trucked water the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Rice continue to vary significantly between governorates, recorded the highest price increase of 48 per cent from 900 YER per 1,000 litres in Amanat Al Asimah to followed by 39 per cent for wheat grains. Likewise, the 7,250 YER for the same quantity in Ibb.

National overview of fuel, water and water trucking prices from 1 January – 23 February 2018

365 366 365 400 358 356 354 351 342 350 372 372 300 348 348 345 354 356 345 250 182 172 178 200 159 168 166 150 100 50 0 Weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Diesel per litre Petrol per litre Treated water per 20 litres Source: MoPIC/FAO

Unvim update Between 28 February and 6 March 2018, UNVIM cleared three vessels carrying a total cargo of 73,743 mt to Yemen’s Red Sea ports.

0 mt 73,743 mt Source: UNVIM

For further information, please contact: George Khoury, Head of Office, UN-OCHA Yemen | Tel: +967 712 222 207 | E-mail: [email protected] Federica D’Andreagiovanni, Head of Communication, UN-OCHA Yemen | Tel: +962 79 687 6082| E-mail: [email protected] OCHA information products are available at: www.unocha.org/yemen | www.unocha.org | www.reliefweb.Int 03