Humanitarian Bulletin

Yemen Issue 27 | 13 May– 5 June 2014

In this issue

Displaced in south returning home P.2

Fuel shortages hurting livelihoods P.3 HIGHLIGHTS Improved response to malnutrition P.4  Recent fighting in Amran may have displaced up to Gender-Based Violence in south P.5 20,000 people. OXFAM  Most of the people who were

displaced by fighting in Heavy fighting as Amran situation flares up Shabwah and Abyan have returned home. Up to 20,000 people may have been displaced in recent fighting  Countrywide fuel shortages Heavy fighting in the last week of Districts with displaced people in Amran since 2011 have affected water supply May between militants and and increased food prices. Government forces in Amran Governorate, northern , may  115,982 acutely have displaced up to 20,000 people, malnourished children were according to unverified information treated in the last three collected by humanitarian partners. It months. is unclear if some of these people  285 cases of gender-based include those who were displaced in earlier clashes from October 2013 to violence have been March. Unconfirmed reports indicate registered in since that people affected by the conflict January. Many more are need food, water and health care. A unreported. ceasefire was declared on 4 June. Humanitarian partners are providing FIGURES medical assistance to three local referral hospitals. A needs People in need 14.7 m assessment to determine urgent of humanitarian aid needs in Amran will be conducted as soon as security allows. Food insecure 10.5 m people Humanitarian operations People without 13.1 m access to safe limited to Amran City water, sanitation Humanitarian partners are operating People without 8.6 m in Amran City but have suspended access to activities outside the city due to adequate health care insecurity. The fighting, which flared Map: OCHA up on 29 May, was mostly concentrated in the rural areas of Jabal Iyal Yazid, Iyal Surayh Acutely 1 m malnourished and Amran Districts in the south of the Governorate. From 3-4 June, the fighting closed children the road from the capital, Sana’a, to Amran. This interrupted delivery of assistance to Sources: UNHCR, WFP, OCHA, displaced people, including a previous caseload of 40,000 people who had been WHO, UNICEF displaced since 2011. FUNDING Food distribution postponed amidst a 30 per cent increase in prices The price of key food commodities has increased by 30 per cent in Amran in recent $592 million weeks. The increase is believed to be linked to insecurity on the road between Amran requested (US$) and Sana’a, as well as widespread fuel shortages. Amran is one of the governorates with high levels of food insecurity, malnutrition and poor access to basic services in Yemen. Should prices continue to increase, basic food commodities will get out of reach for many 21% funded people.

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Plans to distribute food Meanwhile, food distribution for 30,000 displaced people in Amran and Sa’ada that had assistance to displaced been scheduled for 26 May has been postponed due to security concerns. in Amran and Sa’ada Amran hospital struggling to cope with casualties from conflict have been postponed The last two weeks have stretched the capacity of the general hospital in Amran. The because of insecurity hospital received 150-200 wounded in the conflict, most of who were later transferred to the capital. The hospital is severely short of anesthesia and surgical drugs, as well as staff. Distinguishing civilian and military casualties remains extremely difficult. The Ministry of Health has provided three ambulances for referrals of emergency cases, while OXFAM various organizations have donated equipment. Serious needs remain in terms of equipment, drugs and staff. On 27 and 28 May, the Health Cluster met to address capacity challenges at the hospital. WHO, as the Cluster Lead, is coordinating additional 10.5 million Yemenis are food insecure. support to the hospital and updating Health Cluster Photo: WFP contingency plans. Displaced people in south reported to be returning home as assistance ramped up Increased need for health assistance, food, water and sanitation About 20,000 people were displaced during military operations against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in southern Yemen, which began on 29 April and slowed down towards the end of May. Humanitarian partners have verified 5,040 displaced people (870 households) in Abyan and 14,582 (2,680 households) in Shabwah Governorates. Humanitarian partners are responding to the situation, but the need for more assistance Fighting has stopped in remains significant. Shabwah and Abyan, The Deputy Governor in allowing humanitarian Shabwah, where 75 per cent of Districts in Shabwah and Abyan where people were displaced by recent the displacement took place, fighting. Map: OCHA partners to deliver much- has reported that 80 per cent of the displaced people in the Governorate have returned needed assistance, but home. The majority of the displaced in Abyan are also reported to be returning home. An significant needs remain unknown number continue to live in public facilities because their homes were destroyed, and they need humanitarian assistance. Aid delivery to conflict-affected people in the south ongoing Findings by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Yemeni Government’s Executive Unit for IDPs indicate that immediate needs of those displaced in Abyan are principally health, food, water and sanitation. Humanitarian partners expect to meet most needs with existing resources except for the Shelter/Camp Coordination and Management/Non-Food Items Cluster, which reports that the existing pipeline may need more supplies.

http://yemen.humanitarianresponse.info | www.unocha.org United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) • Coordination Saves Lives

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Humanitarian assistance In Shabwah, access for international organizations was difficult before the ongoing in Shabwah is being conflict and was further constrained by the offensive. Assessments of needs and humanitarian response operations are going on, despite insecurity and limited access. delivered mainly through Most assistance is delivered by national humanitarian partners, including the Society for national partners Humanitarian Solidarity, the Yemen Red Crescent, Enaiah National Foundation, Al because of concerns Asalah Association, Manfea’a Association and Al Khair Association. WFP has conducted over access and a one-off food distribution for those displaced from Abyan and Shabwah. insecurity Thousands provided with food, non-food and health kits Most of the displaced in Shabwah were from Rudum, Ar Rawdah, Haban and Districts. Others were displaced within Mayfa’a District. In early May, humanitarian partners delivered trauma, reproductive and emergency health kits to hospitals in Ataq and Azzan Districts. Some 2,205 displaced persons in Ar Rawdah received non-food items and hygiene kits, while 105 people, having sought shelter in a kindergarten in Ataq, were provided with water tanks. Four mobile teams are providing the IDPs, returnees and other conflict-affected people with nutrition, education, water and health care assistance. In Abyan, most displacement was in Mudiyah, Ahwar and Al Mahfad Districts. Humanitarian partners distributed essential drugs to the district hospitals of Lawdar and Mudiya, deployed a surgeon to Lawdar and assisted 700 people within Al Mahfad with non-food items. Food was provided to 2,275 people in Mudiyah. One Gulf partner, Direct Aid-Kuwait, provided food assistance to 500 families who had been displaced from Abyan to Aden. Prolonged fuel shortages hurting households A prolonged shortage of fuel across Yemen has led to electricity outages, forced several hospitals to close and affected water supply to several towns and villages in the last three

months. The INGO Oxfam, which is monitoring the situation in and Food price increase in some districts in Al Hudaydah and Hajjah Governorates Governorates, visited 20 households between 28 April and 7 May to gauge the household-level impact of the fuel crisis. Oxfam found that basic food prices have gone up, and that water pumps and generators were operating at reduced hours doubling the cost of water. Households were Source: Oxfam The increase in the forced to travel longer distances and to wait longer hours for water. Water provided through prices of basic food government projects has become irregular. commodities in Hajjah Lack of fuel has also led to increased food prices because transport has become more because of insecurity expensive, Oxfam said. In , Haradh District, Hajjah Governorate, the price of wheat and fuel shortages will flour increased by 12 per cent within two weeks in May. In Hays, Al Hudaydah Governorate, the price of a bag of fodder increased by 47 per cent, while rice increased make it harder for people by 30 per cent in May. Oxfam continues to monitor the food basket in Haradh to see if the to afford food fuel shortage will continue to impact on food prices. Al Mazraq IDPs short of water, hit by rainstorm The fuel crisis in May affected water supply to Al Mazraq IDP camps in Hajjah Governorate, where 15,274 IDPs live. For four days in the first week of the month, the IDPs had no water because the pumps ran out of fuel. On 19 May, torrential rains hit the area where the camps are located. In Al Mazraq Camp 1, the rains damaged 15 to 20 per cent of the IDP tents, latrines and perimeter walls. In nearby Al Hagouf area of Hayran District, half of the 124 transitional IDP shelters were Water supply to Al Mazraq has been affected by the fuel shortage. Photo: IRY http://yemen.humanitarianresponse.info | www.unocha.org United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) • Coordination Saves Lives

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Torrential rains drenched damaged. The Yemen Red Crescent (YRC) in partnership with IOM provided shelter materials and non-food items including mattresses, blankets, and mosquito nets to those some parts of Hajjah, affected by the rains. The assistance was delivered following a needs assessment by damaging shelters for YRC in 11 villages which found that shelters for 1,250 families were partially damaged, villagers and IDPs, but 450 families reported severe damage to their shelters. humanitarian partners Fuel shortages blamed on failure to pay for basic goods and services have delivered Yemen has one of the highest fuel subsidy rates in the world. It also imports a large assistance amount of fuel products, spending between Fuel requirements for humanitarian operations $75 to 79 million on diesel every month for in Yemen per month. generating electricity, according to the 50 Yemen Petroleum Company. 40 The shortages come at a time when the 40 monthly fuel requirements for humanitarian 30 24 operations have doubled from 20,000 liters 26 in 2011 to 40,000 today due to a relative 20 20 increase in the number of humanitarian 10

organizations on the ground. According to Thousand) (in Liters 0 the Logistics Cluster, 44 humanitarian 2011 2012 2013 2014 organizations now have an agreement with WFP for fuel supplies. The Cluster is Source: Logistics Cluster reviewing operations to cope with the new situation, and to ensure that humanitarian operations are not slowed down. Improved response to malnutrition in most affected governorates despite limited funding Only 11 per cent of required funding received for nutrition response The Nutrition Cluster has recorded improved performance in treatment of severe acute malnutrition in the first quarter of the year due to improved monitoring and supervision of health 31.7% facilities and capacity building of health staff and community volunteers. Better geographic prioritization and targeting contributed to a more 18.2% focused, intensive response in high risk governorates More acutely such as Al Hudaydah. Funding, however, remains a major challenge. So far, the Cluster has received only malnourished children 11 per cent of the required funding. December 2011 March 2014 are being treated due to SMART Survey SMART Survey In the last three months, 115,982 acutely enhanced monitoring malnourished children were treated through Malnutrition rates in Al Hudaydah in 2011 and and supervision, and therapeutic and supplementary feeding programmes 2014. Source: Nutrition Cluster. capacity building of (SFP). A total of 588 SFP facilities and 1,312 outpatient therapeutic programmes (OTPs) are operational in Yemen, according to the Nutrition Cluster. Some 71 per cent of the health workers and OTPs and 86 per cent of the SFPs are located in governorates with a critical or serious community volunteers nutritional emergency, such as Al Hudaydah, Hajjah, Raymah, Lahj, Al Jawf, Taizz, Abyan, Aden, Sa’ada, Al Dhale'e, Amran, parts of Lahj and . About 70 per cent of the malnutrition caseload is concentrated in these governorates. Overall, the cure rate in OTPs is 70 per cent while those who default on treatment constitute 28 per cent. These rates are still below the minimum SPHERE standard (>75 per cent cure rate and <15 per cent defaulter rate), but reflect significant improvement in ongoing response from 62 and 34 per cent respectively in 2013. Survey shows decline in malnutrition rates in Al Hudaydah Preliminary findings of a SMART Nutrition Survey in Al Hudaydah in April found an improvement in global acute malnutrition (GAM) rates from 31 per cent to 18 per cent, particularly in lowlands. This can be attributed to concentrated nutrition interventions in the lowlands of Al Hudaydah by the Nutrition Cluster.

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107 districts in several Children under 5 years of age in Yemen experience critical or serious emergency levels governorates face a of acute malnutrition especially in the north and critical emergency south-west coastal areas. According to the nutrition situation Nutrition Cluster, 107 districts in Al Hudaydah, Hajjah, Raymah, Lahj, Al Jawf, Taizz, Abyan, underpinning the urgent Aden and Sa’ada Governorates are facing a need for more critical nutrition emergency. In Al Dhale'e, interventions Amran, parts of Lahj and Al Mahwit Governorates, 46 districts face a serious nutritional emergency. Densely populated districts in urban areas such as Sana’a and Al also have very high caseloads of acutely More children in Yemen are being treated for malnourished children. malnutrition. Photo: OXFAM Gender-based violence a challenge in south Perpetrators are mainly partners and family members The Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Sub-Cluster in Aden registered 285 cases from January-May, but many more cases are believed to be unreported due to fear of stigma and lack of support services for victims. The weakness of rule of law institutions also contributes to impunity and the continuation of GBV.

The above cases were reported among the Reported GBV cases among females and IDP, returnee and host communities in Lahj, Al males in Aden (Jan-May 2014) Dhale’e, Aden, Shabwah and Abyan Governorates. GBV in southern Yemen is Female 65 207 closely linked to insecurity and poverty. It is worsened by the presence of armed groups,

absence and weakness of governmental Male 10 3 authorities, as well as lack of rule of law. According to the INGO INTERSOS, sexual Minors Adults

violence is linked to abduction, sexual slavery, Source: INTERSOS marital rape and forced marriage. It is also

prevalent in places of work and in schools. In the returnee and host communities, perpetrators of sexual violence are intimate partners (40 per cent), other family members (45 per cent) and community members including neighbours. Most of those affected (95.5 per cent) are women and girls. Survivors of GBV need protection which the state bears the responsibility to assure. They need assistance with health care, psychosocial support, security and legal redress. In 2013, around 3,000 cases of GBV were reported in Yemen, as well as 212 cases of forced and child marriage. Gender is one of the main drivers of vulnerability in Yemen, and this year, humanitarian partners are incorporating it into all aspects of humanitarian response. Sexual violence in Efforts ongoing to ensure humanitarian response factors in gender Yemen is linked to Lack of information that captures the specific needs of men, women, boys and girls, abduction, slavery, including those with particular needs (such as the elderly, physically and mentally marital rape and forced impaired and marginalized) has skewed the effectiveness of humanitarian response in marriage Yemen. A Gender Advisor is working, with the Humanitarian Country Team in Yemen, to ensure that gender and age diversity are catered for in needs assessments. The idea is to ensure that assessment teams understand the causes of vulnerability such as the socio- economic and cultural context, and consult women, men, boys and girls, including those with diverse needs.

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More Yemeni migrant In brief: workers returning from Protection violations reports by Yemenis returning from Saudi persist Saudi Arabia are reporting protection More Yemeni migrant workers, especially Number of Yemeni returnees from Saudi men, returning from Saudi Arabia through Al Arabia per month violations Tuwal border crossing in Hajjah are reporting 60,000 protection violations. Between January and April 2014, reported violations increased by 40,000 35,722 15 per cent, according to IOM. The most 20,000 reported violations include deprivation of food or water and detention. IOM has recorded 0 381,409 returnees at Al Tuwal from 1 June 2013 to 30 April 2014. A total of 550,000

Yemenis have been expelled since April 2013 Source: IOM (from Oct 2013) and Government of Yemen when Saudi Arabia announced it would revise (to Sep 2013) its foreign labour laws. African migrants held in ‘detention camps’ by traffickers A recent report from Human Rights Watch claims that traffickers in Yemen hold migrants from the Horn of Africa in detention camps, torturing them to extort payment from their families, with the complicity of local officials. The report, “Yemen’s Torture Camps’: Abuse of Migrants by Human Traffickers in a Climate of Impunity,” comes weeks before Yemen’s parliament debates an anti-trafficking bill that could enhance the protection of migrants. In November 2013, the Sana’a Declaration on regional migration was adopted, committing regional partners to address mixed migration from the Horn of Africa to Yemen. Qat production a major contributor to Yemen’s water problems

Yemen’s scarce water is being consumed by the Percentage of rural population with widespread production of qat, a high-water crop with access an improved water source) no nutritional value, according to participants at the 2012 47% Istanbul conference on “High and Dry: Addressing the Middle East Water Challenge”. About 90 per cent of 2010 47% male Yemeni adults chew qat, according to WHO, as 2005 49% do 50 per cent of women and 15 to 20 per cent of 2000 52% children under the age of 12. According to WFP, qat 1995 55% production consumes up to 70 per cent of water available for agriculture in Yemen. Source: World Bank Agreement to end recruitment of children into armed forces Yemen is one of the eight countries listed by On 14 May, UNICEF and the Yemeni Government signed an action plan to end the recruitment of children by Government forces. The plan aims to reintegrate children who the UN for child are already recruited, prevent further recruitment and align relevant legislation with recruitment international standards. Yemen is one of eight countries whose forces are listed by the UN for recruitment and use of children. Militant groups, including Ansar Al Sharia and Al Houthis, are also on the list. The exact number of children involved is not known.

For further information, please contact: Trond Jensen, Head of Office, Yemen, [email protected], Tel. (+967) 712 222 207 Erich Ogoso, Public Information and Advocacy Officer, Yemen. [email protected], Tel. (+967) 712 222 831 Signe Jepsen, Humanitarian Affairs Officer, New York, [email protected], Tel. +1 (917) 367 2334 OCHA humanitarian bulletins are available at yemen.humanitarianresponse.info | www.reliefweb.int

http://yemen.humanitarianresponse.info | www.unocha.org United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) • Coordination Saves Lives