HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN YEMEN
Yemen became the worst place for contagious diseases since the conflict began and health services
diminished. Lack of access to clean drinking water and sanitation led to the worst outbreak of cholera in
2017 which claimed life of thousands. Similarly, the population of Yemen is continuously falling victim to
other diseases. About half of the country’s health facilities have been shut down in the five years of
conflict.
19
Growing Health Insecurity in Yemen
Before the conflict erupted in 2014 Yemen was showing progress in education. Primary gross enrollment
ratio stood at 98.17% in 2013 (89.42% for females while 106.6% for males) before the violence erupted
10
.
The five years of conflict has reversed the progress and done further damage to education in Yemen.
11
Education Under Attack in Yemen
9
Total schools
out of use
Damaged in war Closed down
Used for
shelter
Out of school
children
Risk of
dropping out
Schools
rehabilitated
since 2015
66%
13
7%
15
27%
14
2,500
12
2
million
16
3.7
million
17
1,300
18
02
02
Al-Maydani hospital
02
Al Sabeen hospital
for motherhood
02
Al Dourayhmi
rural hospital
02
Military Hospital
Sanaa
02
02
02
Population in need of humanitarian assistance
24 million (about 80% of total
population)
20
Population with no access to clean water
19 million 70% approx.
21
and sanitation
Population with no access to adequate healthcare
19.7 million 70 % approx.
22
Victims of waterborne diseases and lack of sanitation
1.2 million (58% are children)
23
Population dead due to cholera since 2017
2,500
24
Dialysis patients died since 2015
25%
25
Women and children suffering from
80,000
26
psychological problems
Civilians
paralyzed
9,835 (800 children)
27
Statistics
In war, whoever wins, it is the human life that is lost. The prolonged conflict in Yemen has seen a
staggering number of people killed and an even bigger number of people displaced.
Human Cost of Yemen Conflict
28
Death tollsince
2015
100,000
29
Internally displaced persons
3.3 million
30
Returnees
1
million
31
Direct civilian targeting attacks
4,900
32
Total civilian casualties from air raids since
2015
8,635
33
Civilian casualties from direct violence
12,000
(Saudi-led coalition responsible for
67% while Houthis responsible for 16%)
34
Civilian casualties through direct Saudi-led
8,000
coalition
(of which 67% came from airstrikes)
35
Civilian casualties from Houthis and allies
2,000
36
Civilian casualties in
2019
1,100
37
Total casualities in
2019
20,000
38
Most deaths and violence reported in
Taiz, Hodieda and Jawf
39
Number of Saudi-led coalition air raids since
2015
20,328
40
Number of conflict events since
2015
40,000
41
Deadliest year of war
2018
30,800 people killed
42
Number of conflict events in
2019
8,000
43
April was the month with most casualties in
2019
2,500
44
Elsewhere, condition of food security is no better than the rest of humanitarian needs in Yemen. Reports
coming out from Yemen reveal the gravity of issue. Blockade from the sea and continuous violence has
created food scarcity and data show the severity of it.
Food Security in Yemen
Children dead from
acute malnutrition
85,000
45
Children suffering from
acute malnutrition
360,000
46
Population vulnerable
to food insecurity
20
million
47
Population suffering from
extreme hunger
Population in need of
nutrition assistance
7.4
million
49
10
million
48
People suffering from
acute malnutrition
3
million
(2 million children and 1 million
pregnant lactating women)
50
Indiscriminate bombing and airstrikes have become the trademark of Yemen
war for some time now. Excessive use of power and banned weapons are in flow
and regardless of allegiance, often civilians pay the price. Every now and then
non-combative vicinities are targeted by either side and the debate is eventually
brushed under the carpet. There have been some events of carnage that leti the
world in horror. Saudi-led coalition is largely blamed for carrying out attacks on
non-military targets as it has conducted more than 20,000 air raids since the
start of war.
51
Only about one third of those raids hit the military targets.
52
Some
of the non-military targets can be enlisted as below.
Indiscriminate Attacks
Incident
Date
Casualties
Strikes on the city of Saada
April 6-May 11 (2015)
59
killed
(including 14 women
and 35 children)
53
Bombing of residential
July 24, 2015
65
killed
compounds in Mokha
(including 10 children)
54
Airstrike on funeral in Sanaa
October 8, 2016
100
killed and 500 injured
Attack on wedding in Al-Wahijah
April 23, 2018
131
killed
55
Strikes on fish market in Hodeida
August 2, 2018
30
killed
56
School bus targeted in Saada
August 9, 2018
41
killed (including
40 children)
and
77
injured
57
Residential area in Sanaa
April 7, 2019
11
killed 39 injured
58
Attack on market in Saada
July 29, 2019
13
killed and 23 injured
59
Detention center bombed
September 1, 2019
60
killed and 50 wounded
60
Market in al-Raqou, Saada
December 24, 2019
17
killed
61
1\3
rd
20,000 air raids
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN
YEMEN
2015-2019
Yemen is stretched over 527,968 sq km with population of around 28 million. It is located in Middle East
and has border with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the North, Red Sea in the West, Gulf of Aden and
Guardafui Channel in South, while has Arabian Sea and Oman in the East. Yemen is a low income agrarian
country with a little dependence on its oil and gas exports. Secretary General of United Nations António
Guterres termed the crisis in Yemen as the worst man-made humanitarian crisis in the world2. Five years
of war and armed conflict drastically deteriorated the health, education, security, food security and
infrastructure of Yemen. Every aspect of development and human development is marred by a never
ending cycle of violence.
Health facilities, medical and health workers and patients are protected by international humanitarian law
and constitute war crimes. Hence, attack on medical/health facilities is prohibited at all times. The Geneva
Convention of 1949 and the Additional Protocols of 1977 guarantee affirm the protection of both medical
facilities and medical workers.
Medical Facilities Targeted in Conflict
3
Number of
attacks on
medical facilities
Direct attacks on
medical facilities
Medical facilities
targeted in Houthi
controlled area
Medical facilities
targeted in Al-Qaeda
controlled area
01
7
133
4
129
5
83
6
Reportedly
16 medical facilities have been targeted more than once and at least three have been targeted
repeatedly
Number of Times a Medical Facility was Targeted
8
09
Al-Thawara hospital
02
Mareb hospital
02
Harad German
hospital
05
Hays Al-Rifi hospital
04
22 Mayo hospital
03
Military hospital Taiz
03
Yemen International
Hospital
02
Republican hospital Taiz
Five years of conflict and pounding of bombs from sky and land dealt a mighty blow to the infrastructure
of Yemen. Yemen is the poorest country in Middle East and the damage to roads, bridges and buildings
has been estimated in billions of dollars.
Infrastructure Destroyed
Overall estimated damage to infrastructure
$3.29 billion
62
Total length of roads in Yemen
71,300 km
63
(including 6,200 km
paved roads)
Roads destroyed
5,000
km
64
Power sector assets (transmission lines
55%
65
and power stations etc.) damaged
Power sector assets (transmission lines and
8%
66
power stations etc.) completely destroyed
316
7,246
Factories
608
3,919
265
36
2,512
414,574
Destroyed Till 2018
67
620
Malls and
shopping centers
Commercial
buildings
Food trucks
Fuel stations
360
Fuel tankers
Transportation
vehicles
Mosques
917
Tourism sites
271
Sports facilities
112
Media facilities
Archeological sites
219
Airports
15
Seaports
14
Bridges and roads
Power stations
and generators
185
Telecommunication
towers
421
Government
buildings
1,797
Destroyed or
damaged homes
Yemen is largely an agrarian economy and therefore depends on it agriculture for availability of food and
employment. Around 65 percent of Yemen’s population belongs to rural areas.
70
Similarly, about half the
population is dependent on animal husbandry and farming for livelihood. On the other hand attacks on
water facilities has greatly contributed in the decline of country’s agricultural production. Prolonged
conflict has severely hampered the agrarian production and hence food scarcity has hit a staggering
number of people and looms over the rest.
International Labour Organization survey stated that about two-thirds of displaced population was from
rural areas, hence a substantial decline followed in agricultural workforce and output.
71
Reconstruction Efforts till February 2019
68
Roads improved
370 km
Farms built or improved
4,000 hectares
Reconstruction Cost Estimates
69
Short term
$28 billions
Long term
$60 billions
Agricultural Disaster
Before the armed conflict erupted in Yemen, it was already the poorest country in Arab world and Middle
East. The conflict only made it worse. 47% population living in poverty prior to war has increased to 75%
in 2019. If the conflict does not end it will reach up to 79% in 2022 making Yemen the poorest country of
the world.
81
Suffering Economy of Yemen
GDP Annual Growth Rate (%)
82
Unemployment
83
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2.4%
4.8%
-0.2%
-16.7%
-13.6%
2014
2014
2015
2015
2016
2016
2017
2017
2018
2018
13.47%
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
14.02%
13.52%
13.18%
12.93%
Human Development Index Rating
154
84
160
85
168
86
178
87
177
88
Al-Shaheed Saif
Al-Sawadi hospital
Harad General
hospital
Al-Thawara hospital,
Sanaa
Al-Thawara hospital,
Hudaydah
3%
72
approx
2,963
73
295
74
75
76
Land arable in Yemen according to
UN Food and Agriculture Organization
General Farms targeted
Chicken and poultry farms
Farms targeted in first 18 months of war
180
75
Animal and poultry farms targeted in
first 18 months of war
Yemen’s dependence on importing
food at household level
70%
77
Water tanks, pumps and networks
727
78
Water reservoir in al-Nahdin district
Feb 07,
2016
79
Marib dam
June 01,
2015
80
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2 https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2018-11-02/remarks-press-encounter-yemen
3 https://medical-facilities.yemeniarchive.org/
4 https://medical-facilities.yemeniarchive.org/
5 https://medical-facilities.yemeniarchive.org/
6 https://medical-facilities.yemeniarchive.org/
7 https://medical-facilities.yemeniarchive.org/
8 https://medical-facilities.yemeniarchive.org/
9 https://www.unicef.org/mena/media/1911/file/YMN-Report-2018.pd
10 http://uis.unesco.org/en/country/ye
11 https://www.ye.undp.org/content/dam/yemen/General/Docs/ImpactOfWarOnDevelopmentInYemen.pdf
12 https://www.ye.undp.org/content/dam/yemen/General/Docs/ImpactOfWarOnDevelopmentInYemen.pdf
13 https://www.unicef.org/mena/media/1911/file/YMN-Report-2018.pdf.pdf
14 https://www.unicef.org/mena/media/1911/file/YMN-Report-2018.pdf.pdf
15 https://www.unicef.org/mena/media/1911/file/YMN-Report-2018.pdf.pdf
16 https://www.unicef.org/mena/media/1911/file/YMN-Report-2018.pdf.pdf
17 https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/school-year-starts-yemen-2-million-children-are-out-school-and-another-37-million
18 https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/school-year-starts-yemen-2-million-children-are-out-school-and-another-37-million
19 https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1051521
20 https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/02/1032811
21 https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/02/1032811
22 https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/02/1032811
23 https://www.projecthope.org/crisis-in-yemen/09/2019/
24 https://www.projecthope.org/crisis-in-yemen/09/2019/
25 https://www.icrc.org/en/document/yemen-hidden-cost-war-thousands-kidney-dialysis-patients-risk-death
26 https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/12/21/614231/80,000-suffer-from-persistent-trauma,-psychological-disorders:-Ministry
27 https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/12/21/614231/80,000-suffer-from-persistent-trauma,-psychological-disorders:-Ministry
28 https://www.acleddata.com/2019/10/31/press-release-over-100000-reported-killed-in-yemen-war/
29 https://www.acleddata.com/2019/10/31/press-release-over-100000-reported-killed-in-yemen-war/
30 http://reporting.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/UNHCR%20Yemen%20Fact%20sheet%20-%20January%202019.pdf
31 http://reporting.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/UNHCR%20Yemen%20Fact%20sheet%20-%20January%202019.pdf
32 https://www.acleddata.com/2019/10/31/press-release-over-100000-reported-killed-in-yemen-war/
33 https://www.yemendataproject.org/
34 https://www.acleddata.com/2019/10/31/press-release-over-100000-reported-killed-in-yemen-war/
35 https://www.acleddata.com/2019/10/31/press-release-over-100000-reported-killed-in-yemen-war/
36 https://www.acleddata.com/2019/10/31/press-release-over-100000-reported-killed-in-yemen-war/
37 https://www.acleddata.com/2019/10/31/press-release-over-100000-reported-killed-in-yemen-war/
38 https://www.acleddata.com/2019/10/31/press-release-over-100000-reported-killed-in-yemen-war/
39 https://www.acleddata.com/2019/10/31/press-release-over-100000-reported-killed-in-yemen-war/
40 https://www.yemendataproject.org/
41 https://www.acleddata.com/2019/10/31/press-release-over-100000-reported-killed-in-yemen-war/
42 https://www.acleddata.com/2019/06/18/press-release-yemen-war-death-toll-exceeds-90000-according-to-new-acled-data-for-2015/
43 https://www.acleddata.com/2019/06/18/press-release-yemen-war-death-toll-exceeds-90000-according-to-new-acled-data-for-2015/
44 https://www.acleddata.com/2019/10/31/press-release-over-100000-reported-killed-in-yemen-war/
45 https://www.savethechildren.org/us/about-us/media-and-news/2018-press-releases/yemen-85000-children-may-have-died-from-starvation
46 https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/yemen-crisis
47 https://www.projecthope.org/crisis-in-yemen/09/2019/
48 https://www.projecthope.org/crisis-in-yemen/09/2019/
49 https://www.usaid.gov/yemen/fact-sheets/health-fact-sheet
50 https://www.projecthope.org/crisis-in-yemen/09/2019/
51 https://www.yemendataproject.org/
52 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/03/yemen-airstrikes-saudi-arabia-mbs-us
53 https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/06/30/targeting-saada/unlawful-coalition-airstrikes-saada-city-yemen
54 https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/07/27/yemen-coalition-strikes-residence-apparent-war-crime
55 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/29/death-toll-from-airstrike-on-yemen-wedding-hits-131
56 https://www.dw.com/en/deadly-airstrikes-on-fish-market-in-yemens-hodeidah/a-44938814
57 https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/specialseries/2018/12/yemen-saada-bus-bombing-181221224132671.html
58 https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/saudi-led-air-raids-kill-11-civilians-yemen-sanaa-190407201257046.html
59 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/attack-on-yemen-market-kills-more-than-10-warring-parties-trade-blame-idUSKCN1UO1SR
60 https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/houthis-saudi-led-coalition-bombs-yemen-prison-kills-dozens-190901075603392.html
61 https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/12/25/614560/Sa%E2%80%99ada-strike-flagrant-violation-of-international-human-rights-laws:-Yemeni-Ministry
62 https://en.irna.ir/news/83261327/Saudi-coalition-destroys-5-000-km-of-roads-in-Yemen
63 http://www.investinyemen.org/content.php?c=11&langid=2&pageid=3
64 https://en.irna.ir/news/83261327/Saudi-coalition-destroys-5-000-km-of-roads-in-Yemen
65 https://blogs.worldbank.org/energy/measuring-electricity-access-amidst-active-conflict-lessons-yemen
66 https://blogs.worldbank.org/energy/measuring-electricity-access-amidst-active-conflict-lessons-yemen
67 https://www.mintpressnews.com/yemen-war-destroyed/245935/
68 https://stories.undp.org/2c1cb95b37c6e2f69d1e39bd1f6cea22
69 https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1716141/yemeni-minister-28-billion-needed-short-term-reconstruction-plans
70 https://tradingeconomics.com/yemen/rural-population-percent-of-total-population-wb-data.html
71 https://merip.org/2019/03/the-saudi-coalitions-food-war-on-yemen/
72 https://merip.org/2019/03/the-saudi-coalitions-food-war-on-yemen/
73 https://www.mintpressnews.com/yemen-war-destroyed/245935/
74 https://www.mintpressnews.com/yemen-war-destroyed/245935/
75 https://merip.org/2019/03/the-saudi-coalitions-food-war-on-yemen/
76 https://merip.org/2019/03/the-saudi-coalitions-food-war-on-yemen/
77 http://www.fao.org/3/CA3134EN/ca3134en.pdf
78 http://arwarights.org/unhrc
79 http://en.humanrightsagency.com/en/yemen-saudi-airstrike-kills-family-of-five-in-sana-report/
80 http://archive.almanar.com.lb/english/article.php?id=213277
81 https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/news-centre/news/2019/Prolonged_conflict_would_make_Yemen_poorest_country_in_world_UNDP.html
82 https://www.worldeconomics.com/GrossDomesticProduct/Yemen.gdp
83 https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/YEM/yemen/unemployment-rate
84 https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/events/2014/july/HDR2014.html
85 http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2015_human_development_report.pdf
86 http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2016_human_development_report.pdf
87 https://countryeconomy.com/hdi
88 http://hdr.undp.org/sites/all/themes/hdr_theme/country-notes/YEM.pdf
References
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