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UNICEF Yemen Humanitarian Situation Report: 1 - 31 July 2021 [EN/AR]

Países
Yemen
Fuentes
UNICEF
Fecha de publicación

Highlights

  • As of 30 July, an estimated 4,146 families were reportedly impacted by heavy rainfall and associated flooding across the country. The largest impact on displaced families was reported in Marib and Taiz. Floods were also reported in other governorates, including in Al Hudaydah, Al Mahwit, Sana’a, Al Maharah, Shabwa, Abyan, Aden, Lahj, Al Dhale’a and the west coast, reportedly causing loss of life and property.

  • In response to the flood crisis, UNICEF supported Sana’a, Amran, and Dhamar Local Water and Sanitation Corporations (LWSCs) with emergency maintenance of collapsed sewage pipelines as well as cleaning and dislodging of sewage systems in major cities, benefiting more than 600,000 people. UNICEF also supported Sana’a, Amran, and Dhamar LWSCs with emergency maintenance of collapsed sewage pipelines and cleaning and desludging sewage systems in Amanat al Asimah, benefiting 423,000, 70,000, and 112,640 people, respectively.

  • As of 31 July, a total number of 7,131 COVID-19 cases were reported as officially confirmed, with 1,384 associated deaths and a 19.4 per cent case fatality rate (CFR). All of the cases that were reported are from the southern governorates, with no cases reported from the northern governorates other than the first four reported during 2020, as the pandemic is not recognized in the north.

Situation in Numbers

11.3 million children in need of humanitarian assistance

20.7 million people in need

(OCHA, 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan)

1.58 million children internally displaced (IDPs)

Funding Overview and Partnerships

The Yemen Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) was revised and approved in May 2021 to align with the 2021 YHRP, and the current appeal is for $508.8 million. UNICEF’s humanitarian programmes are planned for nationwide reach targeting populations in the areas with the most acute needs, and the appeal integrates the COVID-19 response into programmes planned within the HAC. As UNICEF continues to actively fundraise for its 2021 HAC appeal, $134.8 million has been received as of 30 June 2021. A total of $94.5 million was carried forward from 2020, with an additional $44.5 million received from other contributions1, for a total of $273.7 million funds against the HAC. This leaves a funding gap of $235.1 million, or 46 per cent of the total amount required to continue UNICEF’s life-saving work in Yemen. In July, generous contributions received from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), as well as the National Committees of Australia, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, Poland, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates.

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

Over six years into the conflict, Yemen remains the world’s worst humanitarian crisis with 20.7 million people – 71 per cent of the total population – in need of humanitarian assistance. In July 2021 significant challenges to UNICEF’s life- saving interventions persisted, including heavy rains destroying shelters of internally displaced populations (IDPs) and threatening infrastructure, severe acute malnutrition (SAM), early school closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and conflict-torn areas forcing families to flee from their homes. As of the end of July 2021, three million people, including 1.58 million children, continue to be internally displaced. Over 138,000 additional people have become migrants, and 137,000 people are seeking asylum abroad.

In July 2021, the UN Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting (UNCTFMR) documented 19 incidents of grave violations against children, of which 95 per cent of the incidents were verified. Most verified violations this month pertained to child casualties, including four children killed and 18 maimed (17 per cent girls), by various parties to the conflict. There was also one attack on a school that took place in the Marib governorate and one incident of abduction. Most of the incidents documented and verified were in the governorates of Taiz (five), Marib (three) and Al Hudaydah (three) reflecting the continuing intense fighting along frontlines in these areas. These are only figures that the UN has been able to verify to date; however, the actual number of incidents might be higher than this.

Close to 400,000 children under age five continue face SAM, and a total of 2.25 million children are facing acute malnutrition. More than 15.4 million people urgently need assistance to access WASH services which are linked to drivers of malnutrition. The lack of funding for emergency-specific WASH interventions continues to undermine the integrated response. Funds have been secure to ensure the provision of fuel to water pumping stations through November 2021. This shortfall also heightened the risk of COVID-19 as well as other waterborne diseases, including cholera. Approximately 20.1 million people need health assistance. Women and children continue to be disproportionately affected, with 4.8 million women and 10.2 million children in need of assistance to access health services. If funds are not received, support to hospitals will halt, resulting in an interruption of basic life-saving health services for children, mothers and their new-borns, risking their lives and wellbeing. It will also lead to a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for thousands of health care providers and will affect COVID-19 screenings for hundreds of thousands of Yemenis. Cold chain interruption will lead to the expiry of millions of doses of over ten types of lifesaving vaccines, including Polio, Measles, and COVID-19.

In July 2021, the total number of Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD)/suspected Cholera cases remained the same as the previous month at 15,863 AWD/cholera suspected cases and three associated deaths reported. This indicated a 0.02 per cent case fatality rate (CFR), which is a significant decrease compared with the same period of 2020 (246,403 suspected cases and 49 associated deaths with a 0.04 per cent CFR). The highest number of cases was reported from Sana’a and Al Hudaydah governorates. Current available data shows that the cholera trends are still stable. UNICEF is closely monitoring cholera suspected cases and associated deaths together with WHO.

During the reporting period, significant challenges to UNICEF’s life-saving interventions persisted, including heavy rains destroying shelters of IDPs and threatening infrastructure, SAM, early school closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and conflict-torn areas forcing families to flee from their homes. As of the end of July 2021, three million people, including 1.58 million children, continue to be internally displaced. Over 138,000 additional people have become migrants, and 137,000 people are seeking asylum abroad.