Yemen UNHCR Update, 27 October – 9 November 2018
KEY FIGURES
22.2M People in need
2M Internally Displaced Persons (IDP)
89% of IDPs displaced for more than a year
1M IDP returnees
236K IDPs were assisted through the Al-Hudaydah response
280K refugees and asylum seekers
$198.7M requested in 2018
$131.5M received as of 23 October 2018
Situation Update
Since 4 November, there has been an escalation in hostilities in Al-Hudaydah Governorate. Reportedly, during the past week, dozens of people were killed while thousands of civilians are caught between frontlines. Humanitarian partners report that people living between the airport and the university are unable to flee the conflict as fighting has intensified in the area. The Al-Hudaydah port remains open, however, access to and from the only functioning hospital in the area is at risk.
On 4 November, UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie called for the urgent establishment of a ceasefire in Yemen and a lasting settlement to the conflict. She welcomed recent discussions of a halt to hostilities, and called on the United Nations Security Council, working with countries in the region, to find a negotiated end to the conflict and to uphold international laws on the protection of civilians. The Special Envoy appealed for greater understanding of refugee protection laws, and for all countries to play their part in alleviating the human suffering in Yemen.
On 2 November, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for the parties to the conflict to engage in talks with his Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, in order to end the war in Yemen. Speaking in the wake of international calls for peace, and shortly before the most recent escalation of hostilities, Guterres referred to an opportunity for peace in Yemen. He warned of the risk of famine, and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, especially around critical infrastructure and densely populated areas. The Secretary-General also called for increased humanitarian funding and for support to the Yemeni economy.
From 1 June to 23 October, 88,000 households (an estimated 530,000 individuals) were displaced by conflict in Yemen. According to IOM’s Emergency Displacement Tracking Matrix, conflict in Al-Hudaydah accounts for the displacement of 74,468 households (446,808 individuals) since June. In addition, 13,348 households (80,088 individuals) were displaced by conflict in other governorates – primarily Hajjah. In mid-October, 989 households were displaced by Tropical Storm Luban.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-unhcr-update-27-october-9-november-2018
