ReliefWeb

Daily Key messages

Partners are concerned that the failure of communication networks, including phone and internet in parts of southern Yemen, will hamper humanitarian communication.

Overview

In the last 24 hours, airstrikes have hit residential areas in Shabwah, Al Dhale’e, Aden, Sana’a,Sa'ada, Amran, Marib, Ibb and Al Jawf governorates as well as Sana’a City. Unspecified number of casualties have been reported. On 11 April, air strikes in Amran caused partners to postpone, for the second time, a planned rapid needs assessment. Airstrikes have occurred in 18 of the 22 governorates in Yemen.

The conflict has affected telecommunications. Both landlines and cell phone networks are no longer working in some areas in Aden City and Lawder District in Abyan. Similarly, phone networks and internet have been disconnected in Al Dhale’e. In addition, Aden and Al Mukalla have experienced prolonged power outages lasting between eight and 12 hours.

Scarcity of food continued to worsen as wheat flour was not available in the local market and all bakeries have closed down in Aden.

Access and humanitarian response
Access
Insecurity due to fighting and air strikes are the biggest challenges to humanitarian access in the south. No humanitarian assistance has been delivered to Al Dhale'e due to the insecurity. Humanitarian partners are unable to receive data on casualties in Aden as the Emergency Operation Room run by WHO was attacked and all staff have left. Information on causalities relayed through the Ministry of Health in Sana’a did not cover all health facilities in the south

Response In Lahj Governorate, UNICEF, through the national NGO partner, Society for Humanitarian Solidarity (SHS), continued water trucking in Al Hawtah District (10,000 litres/1,000 persons) to Al Waht School, Al Hamra Mosque and Thulaab School. UNICEF also provided medical supplies to four health centers in four districts affected by the conflict in Sa’ada Governorate.

In Sana'a Governorate, Islamic Relief has launched an emergency operation targeting 700,000 conflict- affected people with food, water and sanitation, as well as trauma and first aid kits. The operation started on 11 April and will cover six other governorates. Every day, 200 families will receive flour, rice, sugar, beans, noodles, peas and cooking oil to last two weeks to one month.

The IOM on 12 April flew its first planeload of foreign nationals out of Yemen, paving way for the evacuation of more than 16,000 stranded third country nationals. The first flight carried 143 passengers from Sana’a to Khartoum, including nationals from Sudan, Ethiopia, US, Nigeria, South Korea, Syria, Iraq, Indonesia, and several European countries. Thirty eight countries have requested IOM to help evacuate their nationals from Yemen. Another flight was scheduled for today, but was cancelled due to security concerns on the ground.

OCHA will issue a Flash Update every day and a full Situation Report every five to seven days.