UNICEF Yemen Humanitarian Situation Report (August 2018)
Highlights
• UNICEF Yemen has supported the first round of an oral cholera vaccination campaign in five districts in the northern governorates of al Hudaydah and Ibb to protect an additional 540,595 people (over 1 years of age) against Cholera. This follows the first campaign held in five districts in Aden in May. In total 387,390 (69 per cent) persons have been vaccinated against the total target of 561,002 people.
• A nationwide polio vaccination campaign was conducted in August, targeting more than five million children under five years of age. Preliminary results show that 4,163,322 children (69%) have been vaccinated with oral polio vaccine and 2,851,917 children (6-59 months) have received vitamin A.
• The start of the new school year remains an urgent concern. 3.7 million children are at risk of missing schooling, mostly in the northern areas, as roughly two-thirds of the public school teachers are still awaiting their salaries after two years. This situation has a strong impact on both access and the quality of education. In addition, out of school children are at higher risk of recruitment by armed forces and other armed groups.
• Fighting continues to escalate in eastern and southern areas of al Hudaydah.
Infrastructure has been damaged, including the main road to Sana’a which is inaccessible to humanitarian partners at present. More than 73,500 displaced households have been registered in Aden, al Hudaydah, Sana’a, Ibb and Sa’ada hubs, of whom 70,000 have received rapid response assistance and non-food items.
• This month, several official statements were published to raise public awareness on the worsening humanitarian situation in Yemen and the intense and senseless violence against children.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
The humanitarian situation in Yemen continues to deteriorate. The number of suspected cholera cases continues to increase rendering the possibility of a third wave of the epidemic more likely, especially in light of ongoing rains. WHO reports indicate increased presentations at health facilities, including severe cases that require further observation1 . In terms of current preparedness actions for possible third wave, UNICEF Yemen has procured and prepositioned supplies that are sufficient for over half million suspected Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD)/cholera cases including items such as vaccines, Oral Rehydration Salts, Zinc and Intravenous (IV) fluids. These are prepositioned in various UNICEF warehouses, the Ministry of Health and some government health offices.
Water systems continue to be a target of attacks, this month various water systems have been destroyed by airstrikes, including wells in Kamaran Island. The wells formed the only sources of water on the island. Five wells were completely destroyed, ten were badly damaged and need to be rehabilitated urgently. In addition to the wells, the desalination plant has been completely destroyed. A main water tank in Durayhimi city in Al Hudaydah, was destroyed when the vicinity was targeted in an attack. Reports suggest that people in the city have had no access to drinking water for one week.
At hub- level, humanitarian access remains most difficult in Al-Hudaydah (Midi, Haradh, Hayran, Mustaba and Bakil al Mir) and Sa’ada (al-Jawf) governorates. Violence and military operations In Al Hudaydah has forced nearly 470,000 people to fled their homes since early June and left them in need of urgent humanitarian aid The value of the Yemeni Rial decreased from YER 460 to the USD in January to YER 485 to the USD in June. Over the past month, the Rial has depreciated further, affecting the average market price of basic food commodities which have increased up to 10 percent in recent weeks. Since November 2017, the cost of the minimum food basket has increased by more than 25 per cent; the cost of fuel commodities (cooking gas, diesel and petrol) have increased by more than 25 per cent between November 2017 and August 2017. The short-term impact of the depreciation is that an additional 3.5 million people will become further food insecure of the next months. A recent IMSEA assessment2 indicated that 30 per cent of household have less than 3 meals a day, with 47 per cent receiving food through begging. The main reason for the high fluctuating in exchange rates in recent week is due to lack of foreign currencies in the Central bank of Yemen, printing of the Yemeni Rial by the Central bank without adequate reserves and a widespread reliance of traders on black markets.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/unicef-yemen-humanitarian-situation-report-august-2018
