Surging violence displaces more than 85,000 civilians in Yemen within 10 weeks

Sana’a, February 11: Effective increase in violence across Yemen has resulted in the displacement of more than 85,000 people in just the last 10 weeks. Notably, Yemen is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis with more than 22 million in need, fuelled by ongoing conflict, a breakdown in public services and a collapsing economy.

 

The situation in Yemen has gone to worst as it is suffering from dual attack ie. civil war and another one from the outbreak of cholera. The United Nations refugee agency has reported that increase in violence across Yemen has resulted in the displacement of more than 85,000 people in just the last 10 weeks.

The spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Cecile Pouilly said, “We are particularly concerned for those that remain in areas close to hostilities in Taiz and Hudaydah governorates.” “As a result of prolonged fighting in those two governorates, conditions continue to deteriorate, exposing people to violence and disease without access to basic services,” she added, noting that the agency was “alarmed” as hundreds of people are forced to flee their homes each day, due to increasing military operations, particularly on the west coast.

In addition to new displacements from those fleeing the coast, UNHCR is also observing a spike from other frontline areas, including Yemen’s border governorates. Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched an appeal for $96.2 million to fund its 2018 response for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

Importantly, the civil war in Yemen has led to the massive outbreak of cholera and this both factors have killed or injured more than 5,000 children and left another 400,000 severely malnourished and fighting for their lives. Due to an outbreak of cholera in April last year, 96% parts of Yemen is severely hampered and affected.

The strategic Red Sea port city of Hudaydah, which is under Houthi control, has the highest number of cases with over 143,000 while the island of Socotra is the only area that has not witnessed a cholera outbreak. On the other side, Hajjah province has had the highest number of cholera deaths with 417.

Interestingly, with over 20 million people dependent on aid, Yemen is the world's single largest humanitarian crisis, now made even worse with the outbreak of cholera. Less than half the country’s hospitals are running and less than a third of the needed medicines are available due to which conditions are getting worst.

In 2011, some 719,377 suspected cases of cholera were recorded in Haiti, and 8,767 people died, according to national figures cited by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. An epidemic late last year faded but outbreaks are frequent and made worse by the degrading of health and sanitation systems by more than two years of civil war that has also killed at least 10,000 people and displaced millions.