Yemen Conflict – ETC Situation Report #33 (Reporting Period: 01/03/19 to 20/04/19)
Highlights
• The ETC completed the installation of the new hub in Aden in March and is extending Internet connectivity services to three UN common guesthouses and the UNDSS radio room in Aden.
• The ETC has received the equipment required to open new hubs that will provide connectivity and radio communication services in in Al Mukalla, Al Mokha and Al Tourba.
• The ETC has also received the equipment needed to upgrade UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) Communications Centres (COMCENs) in Aden, Saa’da, Al Hudaydah and Ibb.
Situation Overview
Two years after Yemen suffered its worst cholera outbreak, the number of reported suspected cases of cholera and acute watery diarrhea has spiked with around 229,521 suspected cases and 516 associated deaths recorded.
Significant challenges to humanitarian efforts remain: sharp escalation in conflict across the country, access to the Red Sea Mills in Hudaydah which contain enough grain to feed 3.7 million people as well movement and customs clearances are withheld, visas are denied and missions are delayed at checkpoints.
Response
• The ETC is currently providing services in 11 hubs across Sana’a, Hodeidah, Ibb and Aden.
o The team completed the installation of the new hub in Aden in March.
- The ETC is extending Internet connectivity services to three UN common guesthouses and the UNDSS radio room in Aden.
o In response to a request from the UN Special Envoy, the ETC is installing VHF radio communication base station at the UN guesthouse in Al Hudaydah to support the humanitarian operation.
• The ETC has received the equipment required to open new hubs that will provide connectivity and radio communications services in Al Mukalla, Al Mokha and Al Tourba. However, approval from the authorities, for deployment of the equipment from Aden to these sites, is needed/under process before installing this equipment.
• UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) and WFP (ETC) submitted an official request to the Ministry of Telecommunications to obtain UHF frequencies for the expansion of VHF coverage in Aden city as per the recommendations that came out of the Telecommunications Security Standards (TESS) mission.
• The ETC has received Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment required to upgrade UNDSS COMCENs in Aden, Saa’da, Al Hudaydah and Ibb. The ETC team is engaging with UNDSS to carry out the installation.
• An international IT candidate technician has been identified for Al Hudaydah to support the scale upactivities and provide inter-agency ETC support.
• So far, the ETC has received US$3.5 million from CERF. Due to restriction and delays in shipment of the equipment, the ETC will meet today with OCHA on extension of the funding until end Oct 2019.
• Procurement of equipment required for ZOA, an International Non-Government Organisations (INGO) hub in Aden has started and it will hopefully be set up in the next few weeks.
• On the World Health Organisation (WHO) cholera response, the ETC has received a request from WHO to conduct a technical assessment and establish IT set up for the Ministry of Health in Aden.
• The ETC is also supporting the University of Aden’s Faculty of Medicine which will enable on-line learning programme with the University of Florence. This includes but not limited to IT basic infrastructure upgrade and connectivity, funded by WHO.
• The ETC is planning a Services for Communities (S4C) mission to visit its new partner, the All Girls Foundation, to determine how their activities and planned projects with other agencies may be supported by the ETC.
