ReliefWeb

Highlights

• The ETC worked with the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) on the security telecommunications needs to be covered until the end of 2017 across Yemen.

• The procurement plan of the equipment required by the ETC to continue delivering life-saving communications services to humanitarians until the end of the year has been approved.

Situation Overview

The situation in Yemen continues to deteriorate. Ongoing fighting in the Mokha and Dhubab districts of Taizz governorate has displaced over 44,000 people, with most displaced civilians fleeing to other parts of Ta’izz governorate or to Al Hudaydah, Lahj, Ibb, Al Dhale’e or Aden governorates.

Following increased tension around Al Hudaydah port, access to the port has been restricted and commercial shipping lines have stopped calling at the port. As an immediate implication, a rise in transportation costs and an increase in delivery times are expected. The World Food Programme (WFP), global lead of the ETC, is working on a contingency plan to address these access constraints and one of the possibilities is using Aden port for humanitarian operations. The ETC is monitoring the situation closely in case this option materialises and a scale up of inter-agency communications services is required.