Yemen is suffering.
Yemen is the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, with more than 24 million people – some 80 per cent of the population – in need of humanitarian assistance, including more than 12 million children. Since the conflict escalated in March 2015, the country has become a living hell for the country’s children.
Many of you will have no idea with so much going on in the world right now, however, Yemen is on the brink of collapse.
Health in Yemen
With COVID-19 now spreading across the country, Yemen is facing an emergency within an emergency. Sanitation and clean water are in short supply. Only half of health facilities are functioning, and many that remain operational lack basic equipment like masks and gloves, let alone oxygen and other essential supplies to treat the Coronavirus. Many health workers are receiving no salaries or incentives.
“We are running out of time”,were the words in a Statement on Yemen by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee.
More than half of all health facilities in Yemen are closed or partially functioning, and there are critical shortages in medical doctors in more than 40% of all districts, according to a new WHO health system survey.
These critical shortages in health services mean that more people are deprived of access to live-saving interventions. The people of Yemen are lacking essential needs and are suffering from this. Absence of adequate communicable diseases management increases the risk of outbreaks such cholera, measles, malaria and other endemic diseases; let alone having an outbreak of Covid-19.
Since 2015, parties to the conflict have targeted not only medical facilities but also medical personnel, as health workers have been threatened, injured, abducted, detained, and killed. Consequently, many medical professionals have fled Yemen, further damaging the ability of the health care system to respond to a pandemic.
Civilians fleeing renewed fighting in northern Yemen are particularly vulnerable to the Covid-19 pandemic, Human Rights Watch has said.
War in Yemen
The conflict has its roots in the failure of a political transition supposed to bring stability to Yemen following an Arab Spring uprising that forced its longtime authoritarian president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to hand over power to his deputy, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, in 2011.
The armed conflict that began in Yemen in March 2015 has displaced nearly four million people. Many have fled their homes due to serious laws-of-war violations, including the Saudi-led coalition’s unlawful airstrikes on homes, schools, and marketplaces and the Houthis’ indiscriminate shelling of neighborhoods.
Since early 2020, fighting in northern Yemen has increased sharply, causing a significant displacement toward Marib. The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, reported that over 40,000 people have been displaced since the beginning of the year, and more displacement is likely as Houthi forces advance closer to Marib City.
After five years of conflict, Yemen still remains the world’s largest humanitarian crisis with over 24 million in need of assistance and more than 3.6 million people uprooted from their homes.
How can you help?
Here is a list of organisations helping people in Yemen
Donate:
Unicef
Rescue.org
Project Hope
Send food, water & aid
Yemen food appeal
Yemen emergency appeal
Save the children
Help refugees in Yemen
Yemen Crisis appeal
Fundraisers
Bread for Yemen
Raise money for Yemen
Save Yemen
Help build a well
Emergency food aid
Petitions:
Stop the war and end the famine in Yemen
US to Vote on Saudi War in Yemen to Stop Cholera & Famine
Stop the flow of weapons to Yemen
End The War in Yemen: Start The Peace Talks
Support WFP’s Hunger Relief Mission in Yemen
TEMPLATE: EMAIL UK MPS TO GET THE PARLIAMENT TO HELP
More Information:
Survey reveals extent of damage to Yemen’s health system
Statement on Yemen by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee
Yemen – Displaced at heightened Covid-19 risk
Peace needed more than ever after five years of conflict in Yemen deepens suffering
Yemen crisis: Why is there a war?
A list of organisations helping people in Yemen
