Why?
Thus, the ICRC is in the process to scale up its efforts to help people meet their immediate needs in Hodeida and Taiz. Armed conflicts and other situations of violence persist throughout Yemen, notably in parts of Al-Jawf, Sa’ada, Sana’a and Taiz. The fighting has caused thousands of civilian casualties, displaced millions and led to severe shortages of essential medicines and other supplies. Few humanitarian organizations remain in the country – over 160 health-care facilities and several offices of humanitarian organizations have been directly attacked in the last two years. The situation is expected to worsen: in early 2017, the Saudi Arabia-led military coalition, active in the country since 2015, launched an offensive aiming to take control of Hodeida, Yemen’s largest port city. Hodeida and Taiz
What?
To help vulnerable households meet their immediate needs, the Yemen Red Crescent Society and the ICRC is distributing emergency relief in the form of food, nutritional supplements, household essentials and cash; tens of thousands of households are expected to benefit from such assistance in 2017. Several thousand households will receive food or cash in exchange for working on community-based projects. The ICRC will also continue supporting local authorities in minimizing disruptions to the water supply for an estimated 3.55 million people in urban and rural areas, by repairing facilities or donating spare parts and other supplies. Where security conditions permit, the ICRC will help households resume or improve their livelihoods, through veterinary services and by distributing farming and fishing tools. An intense battle for control of Taiz has placed both the city and its people in a state of siege, leaving communities completely cut off from supplies. Water levels are critically low, while food prices are soaring. In March 2017, our teams were able to enter Taiz, bringing desperately-needed food, hygiene items and blankets for over 7,000 people. This was the first delivery of aid in Taiz since September 2016.
Who?
People in Hodeida and Taiz