Yemen: Al Hudaydah Update Situation Report No. 11 – Reporting Period: 19-26 September 2018
This report is produced by OCHA in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It is issued by the OCHA Yemen office. The next report will be issued when additional information on the emergency becomes available.
I. Situation Overview
ESCALATED CONFLICT IN AL HUDAYDAH GOVERNORATE
The conflict
The overall context of the fighting in Al Hudaydah Governorate remains largely unchanged. While no significant ground advances were made by either side last week, field reports indicate that Government of Yemen (GoY) forces may have extended control north of the main road near Kilo 16, thus consolidating their control of a portion of the road between Al Hudaydah City and Sana’a. Armed clashes continue in the Kilo 10 and Kilo 16 areas and around the airport. Sporadic armed clashes are also reported on the Hays and At Tuhayat frontlines. Intensive airstrikes, artillery exchange and shelling were reported along the frontline and in several locations within Al Hudaydah City and civilian casualties have been reported.
The situation in Al Hudaydah City
Field reports indicate that the conflict has not affected the movement of civilians within the city where public services such as water pumping stations, hospitals, bakeries and banks are reportedly functioning. Although banks are working, only small amounts of cash can be withdrawn. Hospitals are operational, however, safety at the 22nd of May Hospital, one of the biggest hospital in the country, is of concern as the facility is only a kilometre away from an active frontline.
Peaceful demonstrations have been staged in front of the UN office on a daily basis, most recently by Al Hudaydah city finance office employees and electricity workers, who condemned the deterioration of the economy and called on the international community to pay the salaries of public services employees.
Availability of basic commodities across the governorate
The devaluation of the currency and the general security situation have affected the nominal price of basic food commodities in Al Hudaydah.
FAO reports that a price trend analysis of diesel and fuel in markets in Al Hudaydah Governorate indicate significant price increases. Diesel increased by 48 per cent and petrol by 42 per cent between August and the third week of September. The price of wheat grains has increased by 22 per cent while sugar has increased by 10 per cent across the governorate.
Food security and agricultural partners have facilitated the relocation of 3,000 heads of cattle from active frontlines near Kilo 16 to safer areas to prevent the loss of livelihoods which would have damaged the dairy industry and the supply of dairy products across the governorate.
Access
Humanitarian partners continue to seek the most reliable and safest routes to assist people in need. As the eastern entrance to Al Hudaydah City remains inaccessible because of fighting along the Al Hudaydah-Sana’a road, partners are now generally using alternative routes to the north to access Al Hudaydah City.
Aid operations, personnel and cargo continue to travel in and out of Al Hudaydah City.
Humanitarian organisations continue to call for all ports and access routes, including the main Sana’a-Al Hudaydah road, to remain open and safe for humanitarian operations and the flow of goods.
The ports
Al Hudaydah port and Saleef port, north of the city, remain open and operational. They are critical to the supply of food and other humanitarian assistance to the capital, Sana’a, and other regions in northern Yemen; most commercial food imports are shipped through the ports.
Humanitarian partners are looking for ways of accessing warehouses situated near conflict areas in order to retrieve humanitarian supplies. The Red Sea Mills, which contain 45,000 MT of food commodities, enough to feed 3.5 million people for a month, remain inaccessible as a result of the conflict.
