Lahj and Other Governorates in the South
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Secondary data review – Yemen Executive Summary Access to basic services, in particular health care remains limited. There is a low number of operational Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP) centers and travel This Secondary Data Review (SDR) was undertaken by ACAPS1 and OCHA Yemen. It to theses centers is often difficult. identifies key priorities but also summaries information gaps, needs and operational constraints and provides overall background information on the crisis. Fuel shortage has caused a shutdown of water pumping stations and increases the cost of water trucking. In Hajjah Governorate 98% of the IDP population ACAPS published their first SDR for Yemen in June 2011. A second was jointly rely on UNICEF water tanks. From early December to 2011 to January 2012 undertaken by ACAPS and OCHA in September 2011. This is the third SDR and covers average water consumption in Northern and Western Yemen reduced from 32 the period 1 September 2011 to 15 Feburary 2012. The Secondary Data Review reviews to 25 liters per person per day, in particular in urban areas. 26 recent assessments, numerous sitreps and other information sources. With rising food prices and reduced purchasing power, food insecurity is The humanitarian situation has changed significantly since September 2011. Many needs increasing. In this context it is important to note that WFP found that food prices require a more coordinated and integrated multisectoral response requiring joint are higher in rural areas than in the urban centers of Hudaydah, Aden and assessment, targeting and proiritisation. The impact of the worsening poor nutrition status Sana'a. In Hajjah food security is the highest priority for both IDPs and host of communities across the country coupled with lack of access to clean potable water, communities. Host communities often do not have access to distributions. IDPs adequate sanitation facilities and health services and need for food among the general living outside camps reportedly receive only irregular and insufficient rations. non-conflict affected population is becoming increasingly visible than ever - measles 75% of surveyed families in Hajjah resort to negative coping strategies such as polio and malaria outbreaks, exacerbated incidence of acute watery diarrhoea among credit, selling of assets, decreased expenditure for health and education. In children under 5. In addition, further displacement has been recorded across the country. general, communities with income from khat production are better off then communities without income from qat. According to ACAPS/Care, food Key Humanitarian Needs: availability and accessibility in Al Jawf Governorate is lowest of all Northern Governorates. The key humanitarian needs as identified by the new data in this SDR are: Southern Region: Northern Region: A measles outbreak first reported in Center/West region, in June 2011 spread to Shabwah, Abyan, Aden Lahj and other Governorates in the south. It is The Global Acute Malnutrition rate for children under 5 in Hajjah Governorate attributed to low immunisation coverage due to breakdown in the health system, is more than double the national average and well above the emergency affecting cold chain storage and distribution of vaccines. Up to February 2012, threshold. It is particularly higher for children under 2 (43.9%) with host a total of 2,878 cases and 74 deaths have been reported. communities more affected in comparison to IDPs. Poor breastfeeding practices and care for children is identified as a key causal factor. Only one in five children were exclusively breastfed. The literacy level of mothers was found to Access to areas in Abyan, Shabwa and Hadramaut for food distributions snd be significantly associated with child malnutrition. other vital lifesaving emergeny supplies has been interrupted for several months since June 2011 due to on-going fighting between government and anti- government jihadhists. IDPs and host communities face various forms of violence. Severe protection concerns that were raised in assessments in Hajjah, Sa'ada and parts of Amran include: child abuse/discrimination, domestic and gender-based violence, More than half of the rural population in the south is living on less than 15 litres suppression by powerful groups, kidnapping, revenge killings, trafficking as of water per person per day. This is below the SPHERE Standards In urban well as roadblocks and mine/UXO presences. Suppression by powerful groups is areas, about 18% of the population have less than 15 litres per person per day. more frequent in rural areas whereas in urban areas the vulnerable population Water is often described as muddy and smelly and 40% population were faces discrimination based on origin, economic status or dialects. concerned with the taste of the water. There is a need to sensitize communities on hygiene promotion. Two thirds of urban and half of rural latrines are not properly maintained. The sewage system in Aden is unable to adequately handle 1 Ms Wilhelmina Welsch was the lead consultant from ACAPS for this report. Page 2 of 53 Secondary data review – Yemen the number of IDPs. guarantees by de-facto authorities and armed groups Durable shelter solutions for 20,000 IDPs currently accommodated in 70 schools Movement restrictions, widespread presence of IEDs and UXO, especially in in Aden are needed. Nearly 110,000 students are affected by IDPs occupying Sa'ada, Hajjah and Abyan. their schools. Schools still operational work in two or three shifts in order to accommodate all students. Moreover, the unclear land ownership situation is Lack of understanding of humanitarian principles and independence and causing conflicts for IDPs and returnees. interference in implementation of programmes by de-facto authorities and armed groups. For example, forced closure of health centres in the North by Al- 39% of children in the southern Governorates continue to be out of school Houthies. According to WHO 40% of all malnourished boys and girls under 5 in Aden Fuel shortage linked to the political crisis has limited the movements of aid suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition. The GAM Rate of 18.6% in Abyan agencies and higher fuel prices have increased cost of operations. WFP reported district exceeds the emergency threshold of 15% and is likely due to conflict, in September 2011 that 14,000 households could not be reached due to lack of displacement and lack of access for humanitarian actors. fuel Center/West Region: Lack of recent baseline data gender disaggregated at district level First cases of measles were reported in Dhamar governorate in June 2011 and Next steps suggested by OCHA: the outbreak spread to Al Bayda governorate and other areas of the South, due to lack of vaccination. Assessments Food security among pastoralist communities is rapidly deteriorating due to the A new tool for multisectoral rapid needs assessments is currently developed by fuel crisis which is affecting irrigation and overall food production, and the OCHA that will ensure coordinated and harmonised assesemnt process to better rising cost of food prices. identify and prioritise the main needs of the affected population. Trainings for UN and NGOs on this tool will constitute a first step for building a pool of Malnutrition in Hudaydah Governorate reaches on average a GAM rate of 31.7 needs assessment specialists in Yemen. % GAM for children under 5 (as compared to a GAM rate of 31.4 in neighbouring Hajja Governarate). Depending on the agricultural zone within the Key indepth sectoral information is required in the following key areas; (1) Governorate the rates vary significantly. In the mountain zone characterised by Information on the availability and quality of health facilities, (2) health needs, terracing it is lowest at 20.7% GAM, whereas it reaches 30.5/34.5 in the (sandy) in particular in the South, (3) country wide nutrition data, (4) IDP verification plains. The GAM prevalence in the coastal region is close to the average with 32.5%. OCHA is assessing the need and feasibility for a nationwide representative sample of household-level data, which would also provide a better picture of Main challenges and operational constraints: humanitarian needs in those parts of the country that have so far not received the attention of the humanitarian community and where only little knowledge is Lack of updated food security data (the WFP Comprehensive Food Security available. Study results are expected by mid-March2012) OCHA is establishing an inventory of existing data sets for baseline monitoring Little information available on the humanitarian needs of affected populations in and systemizing the collection of baseline data. Mahwit, Raymah, Dhamar, Ibb and Al Bayda governorates (Center/West Region) OCHA is drafting a needs assessment strategy for the HCT Access constraints, due to volatile security situation and lack of security Page 3 of 53 Secondary data review – Yemen Response Shelter solutions for IDPs in the south need to be identified, particularly for those living in schools. OCHA to convene a high-level meeting in order to transform commitments into action. Content list OCHA to support Health Cluster and WHO to advocate for funding of measles response programme. Summary Livelihood support programmes need to be prioritized. In this regard fuel availability is a key issue for operating water pumps for agriculture and for Key priorities Displacement profile reducing transportation costs for food supplies as well as for lowering the barrier to access health facilities due to lower transportation costs. Information gaps and needs Sectoral page – Livelihoods and Food Security Microplans need to be developed at district and village level for priority Operational Constraints governorates, including all clusters but particularly for Food Security, Health, Sectoral page – Health Livelihoods, Nutrition and WASH Sectoral Page - Nutrition Coordination Sectoral page - WASH Sectoral page – Protection Access negotiations with non-state actors and armed groups under the leadership of OCHA to increase humanitarian space and respect for humanitarian Sectoral page – Education principles in Sa’ada, Abyan and elsewhere.