Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 12 October 2018 – Yemen
Yemen
Our humanitarian colleagues in Yemen report that conflict has escalated over the last 24 hours in areas south of Hodeidah City with reports of increased air strikes, shelling and clashes mainly in Ad Duryahimi and At Tuhayta districts. The UN is working to confirm the impact of this escalation, including initial reports of civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. Since 1 June, more than 570,000 people have been displaced by fighting in Hodeidah Governorate. The United Nations and partners have reached nearly all of these people with emergency response kits that include food rations, hygiene supplies and items to preserve dignity. Additional assistance, including supplementary food, cash and shelter kits, are provided to the most vulnerable displaced people based on assessed needs. Yemen remains the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with 22.2 million people — or 75 per cent of the population — in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. This includes 8.4 million people who do not know how they will obtain their next meal. The crisis is rapidly worsening due to escalating conflict and severe economic decline.