HUMANITARIAN UPDATE Issue 02 / February 2020 Credit: BBC/ Lyse Doucet Medical airbridge launched On 3 February, a group of six In a joint statement, senior UN HIGHLIGHTS chronically ill children and their officials indicated that, “Many carers were flown from Sana’a to United Nations entities and several Medical airbridge launched Amman, Jordan for treatment; governments in the region and P 01 a second plane carrying 23 sick around the world have collaborated men, women and children and to get these patients the treatment UN calls for protection of their companions followed on 8 they need abroad, and we are civilians as war casualties February. The flights are part of grateful to them all. The United spike in Marib, Al Jawf and a United Nations/World Health Nations will do what it can to Sana’a governorates Organization (WHO) medical ensure the continuation of the P 02 airbridge operation transporting medical airbridge as a temporary chronically ill Yemenis who cannot solution to reduce the suffering of Humanitarian community get the treatment they need within the Yemeni people until a more reaffirms commitment to country . Many suffer from different sustainable solution is reached in the Yemen amid concerns on types of cancers, kidney disease, near future.” shrinking operating space congenital anomalies and other Patients for the flights were selected conditions that require specialist P 03 based on need, and their medical treatment. Aid agencies brace to files were reviewed by the High contain cholera ahead of the The launch of the operation was Medical Committee, a group of rainy season welcomed in a joint statement by medical doctors that work with senior UN leadership in Yemen, local health authorities to guide the P 04 including UN Special Envoy, selection process, and by a global YHF allocates a record Mr. Martin Griffiths, the UN service provider, against a list of $109.4 million to support Humanitarian Coordinator, twelve critical conditions that gaps in the HRP’s first and Ms. Lise Grande and the WHO cannot be treated in Yemen. Many second line response Representative, Dr. Altaf Musani. of the patients who flew to Jordan The flights were an outcome of have already undergone successful P 05 negotiations involving Mr. Griffiths surgeries. Plans are underway for and Ms. Grande, as well as the the next medical airbridge flight governments of Jordan, Egypt and to Egypt. WHO is working with Saudi Arabia, and were coordinated partners to finalize the patient list by WHO in collaboration with and the date of departure. local public health and population authorities. The medical airbridge is part of the UN’s ongoing humanitarian operation in Yemen. 2 UN calls for protection of civilians as war casualties spike in Marib, Al Jawf and Sa- na’a governorates The upsurge in hostilities that began in mid-Jan- law parties which resort to force are obligated uary in Marib, Al Jawf and Sana’a governorates, to protect civilians. Five years into this conflict continued into March, causing a spike in civilian and belligerents are still failing to uphold this casualties and damaging civilian infrastructure. responsibility. It’s shocking,” said Ms. Grande. Multiple air strikes hit the Al Hayjah area in In his briefing to the UN Security Council on 18 Al Maslub District, Al Jawf Governorate on 15 February, Mr. Mark Lowcock, the Emergency February killing 34 civilians including 26 children Response Coordinator, echoed the Humanitarian and 6 women and injuring 23 other civilians Coordinator’s sentiments. In another statement including 18 children and one woman. Intense on 20 February, the UNICEF Representative in clashes broke out in Al Hazm City, Al Jawf Yemen, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, called on parties Governorate, on 1 March causing massive dis- to the conflict, “to protect the lives of children by placement of civilians. Heavy fighting, including first and foremost putting an end to this brutal artillery shelling, was reportedly ongoing by late war.” afternoon on 2 March, mainly in the outskirts Just a week before the air strikes in Al Maslub of Al Hazm District. As of 2 March, the overall District, on 7 February, the Al Jafra Hospital and civilian casualty figures and number of displaced Al Saudi Field Hospital were badly damaged by persons was unclear due to continued fighting in fighting in the Majzer District of Marib Gover- the affected. norate, and a paramedic was also injured. Both fa- Humanitarian partners continue to verify civilian cilities, which serve a population of about 15,000 casualty figures and the final figures are expected people, were closed for security reasons at the to be higher. Humanitarian partners deployed time they were hit. In a statement of 10 Febru- rapid response teams to the affected areas to ary, Ms. Grande condemned the attack on public provide first aid to the injured, many of whom facilities as a breach of international humanitar- were transferred for treatment to hospitals in Al ian law. “It is terrible that facilities upon which Jawf and Sana’a. thousands of people depend to survive have been badly damaged.” The Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, Ms. Lise Grande, issued a statement on 15 February Fighting across the three governorates has expressing condolences to the families of those caused further displacement, with an estimated killed and wishing a speedy recovery to those 35,000 people having fled their homes between injured. “Under international humanitarian 19 January and 17 February and humanitarian Rajuzah Al Humaydat Az Zahir Al Mutun Al Matammah Al Hazm Khab wa Ash Sha'f Al Maslub Al Ghayl Al Khalaq Affected Districts Displacement Majzar destination Arhab Raghwan Nihm Madghal Al Jid'an Bani Al Harith Hamdan Harib Ma'rib Bani Al Qaramish Hushaysh Sirwah Ma'rib City At Tyal Bidbadah Al Haymah Sanhan wa Ad Dakhiliyah Bani Bahlul Khawlan Bani Matar Jihanah Bani Dabyan Al Jubah Manakhah Al Haymah At Tyal Al Kharijiyah Bilad Ar Rus Data source: OCHA Partners 3 partners continued to respond to needs. Most included in estimates. Access to Nihm was lim- of those displaced persons are in Marib City ited due to security concerns and in parts of Al and surrounding areas staying in overcrowded Jawf, the response is hindered by lack of access, public buildings, in displacement sites and with mobile telecommunications and partner capaci- the local community. Nearly 5,000 are scattered ty. For details of the humanitarian response see: in Nihm and Bani Hushaysh Ddistrict in Sana’a https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-dis- Governorate. The actual number of IDPs is placement-marib-sana-and-al-jawf-governor- likely to be higher as many families are staying ates-situation-report-no-2-18 with the host families and may not have been Humanitarian community reaffirms com- mitment to Yemen amid concerns on shrinking operating space The European Commission and Sweden hosted point where delivery of life-saving assistance a Humanitarian Senior Officials meeting on the is at risk. A concrete step change is needed in humanitarian crisis in Yemen on 13 February order to continue to provide vital support to in Brussels. All participants at the meeting, who the people of Yemen. All restrictions, obstruc- included donors, United Nations agencies and tions and interference violating humanitarian international non-governmental organizations principles should be removed immediately and (INGOs), expressed a shared concern and com- once and for all.” mitment to act collectively. Donors reaffirmed their full support for the In a joint statement, the Commissioner for Cri- UN, INGOs and other humanitarian organiza- sis Management Janez Lenarčič and the Swedish tions operating in Yemen. Humanitarian and Minister for International Development Co- development organizations agreed on a shared operation Peter Eriksson expressed concern at commitment to remain engaged and ready to the rapidly shrinking humanitarian space. They help the Yemeni population. Part of the com- called on all parties to actively support the UN- mitment includes recalibrating assistance, in- led negotiations aimed at a peaceful solution cluding a downscaling, or even interruption, of to the crisis, to protect civilians and to comply certain operations, if and where delivery of aid with International Humanitarian Law. in accordance with the humanitarian principles is impossible. The commitment also includes a “We brought together the main humanitarian dialogue with all parties and the recent indica- actors engaged in the Yemen crisis, the world tion of willingness to remove constraints for aid largest humanitarian crisis. Needs in Yemen are delivery on the ground needs to be followed up. unprecedented. All humanitarian actors remain The meeting also paid tribute to the work of all firmly committed to continue providing vital our partners who are operating under extreme support to the people of Yemen in line with conditions on the ground. humanitarian principles. We are deeply alarmed at the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian space all over the country. It has reached a breaking A non-permissive operating environment The Brussels meeting came against a backdrop 8.2 million people in need and have a cumulative of increasing humanitarian access challenges, budget of $280 million. NGO partners reported making Yemen one of the most non-permissive 82 projects pending with authorities in Sana’a and operating environment in the world. Between 41 projects pending with the authorities in Aden. October and November 2019 humanitarian Between October 2019 and February 2020, 69 partners reported 719 access incidents across 141 NGO projects were reported approved. Unim- districts in 20 governorates, an upsurge com- plemented projects have been pending approval pared to 502 incidents reported in August and for over six months on average. Severe challenges September. were reported for those projects pending approv- al with Sana’a authorities, which only approved Persistent delays in project approvals by author- half of the submitted projects since 2019.