Yemen Conflict – ETC Situation Report #31 (Reporting period 01/01/19 to 31/01/19)
Highlights
- The ETC received confirmation of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) funding allocation of US$2.7m for its scale-up activities in response to Al Hudaydah crisis.
- The ETC has held a workshop on 17 January with partners on the ground to determine priority activities and define the workplan for 2019.
Situation Overview
World Food Programme (WFP) is in the process of scaling up its activities to reach 12 million people with food assistance each month across Yemen. The scale up plan includes the provision of in-kind food assistance to 8.2 million people, commodity vouchers to 2.8 million and a longer-term plan to provide a further one million people with cash-based transfers.
Food assistance has played a critical role in preventing Yemen slipping into famine. The current scale-up is in response to increased needs caused by the ongoing conflict which has also exacerbated an economic decline that has resulted in food prices 66-162 percent higher than before the crisis. About 20.1 million people are currently food insecure which is a staggering two-thirds of the population and represents a 13 percent increase from 2018. This makes Yemen the world’s largest food security crisis.
Response
- The ETC has received confirmation of the CERF funding allocation US$2.7m for its scale-up activities.
US$ 500k from USAID/OFDA contribution has been extended to 2019 to support ETC normal activities.- The total ETC budget for 2019 not including Al Hudaydah scale up is US$2,746,842. The ETC budget for scale-up activities in Al Hudaydah is US$2,171,375, bringing the total ETC budget in 2019 to US$5.5 million.
- The ETC has carried out an assessment to establish a new Internet connectivity hub for INGOs in Aden and is now working on the bill of quantity for setting this up. The new ETC hub for UN agencies became operational in Aden in early January. This new site will complement the Internet connectivity hub established by the ETC in the UN guesthouse in another part of Aden.
- On 17 January, the ETC held an all-day plenary workshop at the UN compound in Aden. Participants from approximately 48 different UN agencies and INGOs attended the workshop with the objective of reviewing 2018 achievements, challenges and areas of improvement as well as to define the priorities of the 2019 ETC workplan.
- The ETC has requested that the equipment ordered from WFP Fast IT and Telecommunications Emergency and Support Team (FITTEST) is kept in Dubai until pre-clearance is received from the authorities.
