WFP Yemen Country Brief, March 2019

In Numbers

10.6 m people assisted in March 2019

109,518 mt of general food assistance dispatched

US$ 20.5 m cash-based and commodity transfers made

US$ 609 m six months (April – September 2019) net funding requirements

Operational Updates

• In March, the Office of the United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen announced that there has been significant, yet slow, progress towards a first phase of the redeployment agreement in Hudaydah governorate. On 25 March, intensive clashes with heavy weapons, the most intense since the ceasefire, erupted in several locations in Hudaydah City with unconfirmed casualties. WFP staff are safe and accounted for, and operations proceeded unaffected.

• The fourth anniversary of the conflict in Yemen was observed on 26 March, with demonstrations across the country. The conflict has now entered its fifth year.

• On 10 March, the Saudi-led Coalition conducted airstrikes in Kushar district, Hajjah governorate, with causalities reported. On 28 March, WFP received reports indicating that the humanitarian situation in the Bani Hassan area of Hayran district, Hajjah governorate had significantly deteriorated following an Internationally Recognized Government of Yemen offensive on the area. Local authorities and UN partners have confirmed that families are fleeing towards Abs city. Over 420,000 people were displaced in the last six months. In response, WFP has scaled up its assistance to Kushar district to include 22,000 households via the in-kind food distribution. Also, 8,647 rapid response mechanism (RRM) kits were distributed to newly displaced families.

• WHO reports that as of 27 March, the number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen had increased to 138,000, including 266 associated deaths, since January 2019. WFP and WHO are distributing oral rehydration salts (ORS), as well as five litre jerry cans and aqua-tabs for chlorination, to over 1.7 million people in 48 districts deemed at high risk of cholera.