Yemen - ReliefWeb News
Yemen: Yemen mVAM Bulletin #3 - October 2015: More frequent use of negative coping strategies in Yemen
Key messages
In October respondent households in Yemen are using more frequently food related negative coping strategies. Both food consumption and coping indicators are worse in Al Baydah and Al Hudaydah.
Food security indicators are the poorest in conflict-affected governorates of the north-west (Hajjah, Al Jawf) and the centre-south (Dhamar, Ibb, Raymah).
Perceptions of food insecurity have escalated, in tandem with concerns over shortages of cooking gas, which continue to be reported in the conflict-affected governorates of Marib, Al Baydah, Sana’a and Al Hudaydah.
Insecurity and high production costs are expected to impact the October sorghum harvest
Yemen: Inactivated polio vaccine introduced in routine immunization programme in Yemen
Sana'a, 3 November 2015— Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) was formally introduced into the routine immunization programme today in Sana'a, Yemen for all children under the age of one. The introduction, which is supported by GAVI - the Vaccine Alliance, WHO and UNICEF, came as a significant step towards eradicating polio and enhancing Yemen’s immunization programme. Currently, there are no cases of polio in Yemen.
"This is a significant step in eradicating polio as part of the Global Polio Endgame strategic Plan," says Dr Ahmed Shadoul, WHO Representative for Yemen. "It's a huge achievement to introduce this vaccine, given the major security, political and economic challenges facing Yemen today."
The planned introduction of IPV for polio eradication represents the fastest global introduction of any new vaccine in low- and middle-income countries in recent history. Yemen is one of 126 countries that are introducing the vaccine in 2014–2015.
"Yemen is committed to eradicating polio so the national immunization programme has made every effort to introduce the vaccine," said Dr Ghada Al-Haboob, Director of the Expanded Programme on Immunization. "We are doing our best to ensure that every child receives this vaccine in order to maintain the advances made in the field of immunization."
The new vaccine does not replace oral polio vaccine (OPV) doses. The IPV and OPV doses will together further boost the immunity of children against polio. The formal introduction of IPV was preceded by intensive training for health workers and vaccinators in all governorates in Yemen.
See the photo gallery here
Yemen: Yemen Situation Update (4 November 2015)
Situation Overview
- The southwest coast of Yemen has been struck by a Category II Cyclone, which made landfall in Mukalla, Hadramaut governorate on Yemen’s Arabian Sea coast on 3 November. The storm caused a blackout throughout the city and flooded large areas, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate.
- According to OCHA current projections of the impact of Cyclone is likely to affect approximately 1.1 million people.
- In Oman, an UNDAC team, including one Senior WFP logistics Officer will be deployed to Muscat and Salalah to carry out initial assessments.
Yemen: Yemen cyclone: Oxfam says country faces double disaster
Cyclone Chapala hits war-torn Yemen, Oxfam Country Director Sajjad Mohamed Sajid said:
"It's a humanitarian disaster on top of another. In a year of the Super El Niño, a rare cyclone has left conflict ravaged Yemen facing a double disaster as Cyclone Chapala promises years worth of rain in Yemen in just a few days.
"Yemen is already one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The cyclone comes on top of seven months of non-stop fighting that has dismantled basic infrastructure, limited the availability of food and other vital supplies, cut off drinking water, destroyed livelihoods and severely damaged people's abilities to cope. Hospitals and schools are damaged by the fighting, and medicines are in short supply, which means that many people have no access to basic medical care or temporary shelter if they need them. Those previously displaced by the fighting are particularly at risk as many are living in make-shift tents and unsafe accommodation that is too vulnerable to withstand the impact of the cyclone.
"UN initial reports indicate that 1.1 million people are affected by the cyclone, particularly in Shabwa and Hadramout governorates where there’s substantial flooding. So far 3 deaths are reported, and 40,000 people displaced or evacuated. In addition the UN is reporting that 450 homes are damaged or destroyed.
This should serve as a reminder that the war and the man-made humanitarian crisis in Yemen are unnecessarily putting millions in harm's way, pushing more people daily into extreme poverty and deprivation, and hampering their abilities to cope with hardships. The international community should step up pressure on all parties to end the fighting, and redouble efforts to find a peaceful resolution to end the conflict and prolonged suffering of Yemenis."
ENDS
Yemen: The current situation in Yemen: causes and consequences
The war in Yemen reflects the failure of the 2011 transition deal to end the influence of the powerful patronage networks of the Salih regime and deal with the marginalisation of the Huthis and the south. Huthi leaders used militias developed in the 2000s, their skills in mobilising tribal support and a Faustian pact with Salih to defeat Islah and, in the process, force President Hadi out of the country. Hubris may have led to their attempt to move out of their Zaydi heartland, but this provoked a Saudi-led coalition to mobilise against them. Fighting has continued for six months with much destruction of human life, infrastructure and the economy. The war may soon culminate in battles to capture Sanaa and Ta’izz. The combatants are not ready for serious negotiations. When they do talk they will find it difficult to establish a regime that enjoys the support of a majority of Yemenis. The war has empowered local groups and created sectarian tensions that previously did not exist. The conflict will not lead to a clear victory: the Yemenis and the coalition will need to make some difficult compromises. Meanwhile, the destruction continues and al-Qa‘ida in the Arabian Peninsula and Islamic State terrorists are exploiting the situation.
Yemen: The current situation in Yemen: causes and consequences
The war in Yemen reflects the failure of the 2011 transition deal to end the influence of the powerful patronage networks of the Salih regime and deal with the marginalisation of the Huthis and the south. Huthi leaders used militias developed in the 2000s, their skills in mobilising tribal support and a Faustian pact with Salih to defeat Islah and, in the process, force President Hadi out of the country. Hubris may have led to their attempt to move out of their Zaydi heartland, but this provoked a Saudi-led coalition to mobilise against them. Fighting has continued for six months with much destruction of human life, infrastructure and the economy. The war may soon culminate in battles to capture Sanaa and Ta’izz. The combatants are not ready for serious negotiations. When they do talk they will find it difficult to establish a regime that enjoys the support of a majority of Yemenis. The war has empowered local groups and created sectarian tensions that previously did not exist. The conflict will not lead to a clear victory: the Yemenis and the coalition will need to make some difficult compromises. Meanwhile, the destruction continues and al-Qa‘ida in the Arabian Peninsula and Islamic State terrorists are exploiting the situation.
World: The Market Monitor - Trends and impacts of staple food prices in vulnerable countries, Issue 29 - October 2015
This bulletin examines trends in staple food and fuel prices, the cost of the basic food basket and consumer price indices for 70 countries in the third quarter of 2015 (July to September).1 The maps on pages 6–7 disaggregate the impact analysis to sub-national level.
• FAO’s global cereal price index still continued to fall in Q3-2015, down 12.7 percent year-on-year and is now at 2010 levels.
• The real price2 of wheat dropped a further 14 percent over the last quarter. Prices are 30 percent lower than in Q3-2014, thanks to record production in 2015, abundant global supply and strong export competition.
• The real price of maize has dropped 2 percent since Q2-2015 and is 3 percent lower than in Q3-2014. However, global production 2015/16 is projected to be lower than this year.
• The real price of rice has fallen by 1 percent since Q2-2015 and is 15 percent lower than Q3 last year.
Despite reduced production amid increased global utilisation, weakened import demand has kept rice prices in check.
• In Q3-2015, the real price of crude oil dropped by 19 percent compared with Q2-2015 and reached a level last seen in 2004.
• The cost of the minimum food basket increased severely (>10%) during Q3-2015 in four countries:
Ghana, Myanmar, Syria and Tanzania. High increases (5–10%) were seen in Benin, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya and Mali. In the other monitored countries, the change was low or moderate (<5%).
• Price spikes, as monitored by ALPS (Alert for Price Spikes), are evident in 16 countries, particularly in Ghana, India, Malawi, Myanmar, South Sudan,
Sudan and Yemen (see the map below).3 These spikes indicate crisis levels for the two most important staples in the country, whether they are either cassava, maize, rice, wheat, sorghum or sugar.
Yemen: Aid from neighbours reaches Yemen as cyclone eases
Aden, Yemen | AFP | Wednesday 11/4/2015 - 12:05 GMT
Relief aid started to be flown in to Yemen on Wednesday as a rare tropical cyclone eased into a depression after wreaking havoc in parts of the war-torn country.
Cyclone Chapala weakened after making landfall Tuesday in mainland Yemen, triggering heavy flash floods after severely striking the country's Arabian Sea island of Socotra.
A fisherman drowned on Wednesday as the storm generated high waves off the southern port city of Aden and flooded its seafront Abyan Road, his union said.
Three military planes sent by Oman landed in Socotra with 54 tonnes of food and medicine, Saba state news agency reported, adding that six more planes from the sultanate were expected by Thursday.
The United Arab Emirates also dispatched a plane loaded with 20 tonnes of relief aid to Socotra, the Emirati official news agency WAM said.
The shipment included tents and blankets, in addition to food.
More than 200 people were injured and dozens of houses and hamlets severely damaged or washed away when Chapala hit Socotra, according to Salem Zaher, mayor of the island's main district Hadibo.
Socotra is located 350 kilometres (210 miles) off the Yemeni mainland.
The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has cited reports of three fatalities and 34 injured in Yemen due to the cyclone.
But the government insisted late Tuesday that Chapala had not caused any deaths.
The World Health Organization has said it delivered trauma kits for 1,000 patients in coastal Mukalla, the provincial capital of Hadramawt in southeast Yemen.
It said it was also providing fuel for hospitals and ambulances in Mukalla, most of which has been under Al-Qaeda control since April.
The UN said Tuesday that at least 1.1 million people, mainly in the provinces of Hadramawt and Shabwa were expected to be affected by Chapala.
Initial reports suggested over 40,000 people had been displaced or temporarily evacuated from coastal areas, it said, and at least 450 homes damaged or destroyed.
faw-ak/hc
© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse
Yemen: Yemen: Protection Cluster - Assessment Inventory (18 October 2015)
World: IDMC Quarterly Update: July - September 2015
This Quarterly Update covers the activities of the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) between 1 July and 30 September 2015. It is also available to be read online or down-loaded at www.internal-displacement.org. IDMC, established by the Norwegian Refugee Council, is the leading non-governmental body monitoring internal displacement worldwide.
Keeping IDP issues high on the international agenda
The Global Estimates 2015 was launched in July 2015 in Geneva. The report reveals the latest global figures for 2014 which show that 17.5 million people were forced to flee their homes last year by weather-related hazards such as floods and storms, and 1.7 million by geophysical hazards such as earthquakes. IDMC’s data captures 695 new disaster displacement events in 2014 that affected 100 countries. IDMC’s global disaster displacement data on events between 2008 to 2014 is accessible for download from our website.
World: Global Food Security Cluster: Global Dashboard (7 October 2015)
The gFSC global dashboard provides a quick snapshot of the country-level Food Security Clusters around the world. The updated dasboard shows that as of October 2015, the country-level Food Security Clusters remain only at 52 percent funded against their yearly requirements
Yemen: Estimated Precipitation Accumulation from 02 November 12 h to 03 November 2015 12 h UTC, Yemen (3 Nov 2015)
Precipitation Accumulation Analysis with GPM Derived Data (IMERG-Real Time) Acquired from 02 November 12 h to 03 November 2015 12 h
This map presents the estimated total precipitation accumulation for Yemen covering the period from 02 November 2015 to 03 November 2015 12 h UTC. This total estimate was derived from the Global Precipitation Measurement IMERG dataset (Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM) at a spatial resolution of approximately 0.1 degrees. It is possible that precipitation levels may have been underestimated for local areas, and are not a substitute for ground station measurements.
Yemen: Yemen - Tropical Cyclone CHAPALA - ECHO Daily Map | 03/11/2015
Situation
• Tropical Cyclone CHAPALA reached the coast of Shabwa and Hadramaut governorates (Yemen) in the morning of 3 November, with max. sustained winds of 120-140 km/h. After it started moving inland over Shabwa governorate, weakening. CHAPALA affected Socotra island, as well as Hadramaut, Shabwa and Abyan governorates with strong winds, very heavy rains (annual average < 50 mm in coastal areas of Yemen), storm surge and high waves.
• As of 3 November morning, there is no information about the inland situation, while in Socotra island at least two persons died, over 200 were injured, 80 houses were destroyed and over 100 damaged.
• Over the next 48 h heavy rains may still affect several areas of southern and central Yemen, with the risk of landslides and floods.
Relevant Tropical Cyclones in YEMEN 2005-2015
Tropical Cyclones are rare in Yemen. In 2008 a Tropical Depression (ARB 02) crossed Socotra island and made landfall near Al Mukalla. Very heavy rains affected Yemen, causing floods that killed over 180 people. The governorates most affected were Hadramaut and Mahra.
Yemen: Yemen: Cyclone Chapala Flash Update 1 | 3 November 2015
Key messages
• Tropical Cyclone Chapala made landfall on mainland Yemen on 3 November and early reports point to substantial flooding, including in the country’s fifth largest city, Mukalla.
• Based on current projections the estimated number of people that may be affected by Cyclone Chapala is 1.1 million or more – mainly in the two governorates of Shabwah and Hadramaut.
• Initial reports suggest more than 40,000 people displaced or temporarily evacuated from coastal areas and at least 450 homes damaged or destroyed
• Early reports of three deaths and 34 injuries
• Humanitarians have pre-positioned stocks and have launched a response.
Yemen: Yemen's curse: civil war, bombs, and now floods
SANA'A, 3 November 2015 (IRIN) - The last thing Yemenis needed in the middle of their long and bitter civil war was a natural disaster. But now the most powerful storm in decades, Cyclone Chapala, has struck the ill-equipped nation, flooding an al-Qaeda-controlled port and much of surrounding Hadhramaut Province.
Thanks to downed communications systems and the extent of the extreme weather, aid to those affected in southern Yemen had barely begun by dusk on Tuesday and officials were still assessing the damage.
Cyclone Chapala came barreling into the southeastern port city of Mukalla in the early hours of Tuesday. While the extremely rare tropical storm weakened throughout the day, it still had not cleared enough for aid efforts to begin in earnest.
“One of the reasons you’re not going to see much [relief] at the moment is the storm is still overhead,” explained Sebastian Rhodes-Stampa, senior humanitarian officer for the UN’s emergency aid coordination body, OCHA, in Yemen.
Aid response
Getting aid to those who need it is complex in Yemen, where a Saudi Arabia-led coalition began a campaign of airstrikes in March in a bid to oust the Houthis from power.
More than 5,000 people, including at least 2,300 civilians, have been killed since the bombing began and the country is deep in the throes of a humanitarian crisis, woefully short on fuel and water, its medical system devastated.
In the midst of the chaos, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) took control of Mukalla from government forces in April.
IRIN received reports that AQAP had evacuated civilians from areas closest to the coast in the hours before the storm, but they could not be independently verified.
Rhodes-Stampa said OCHA had stored supplies in Mukalla before the storm hit and will push in further convoys when the storm passes.
The World Health Organization had also prepared for the cyclone by distributing trauma kits in Hadhramaut, as well as petrol for ambulances and diesel to hospitals that rely on generators for electricity.
Dr. Ali Sareyah, head of the Ministry of Public Health and Population’s emergency department, said the government had four emergency teams ready to fly into the affected areas, but had not yet received clearance to lift off.
All aid convoys and air traffic must be coordinated with the Saudi-led coalition, so as to avoid unintended civilian casualties.
Damage assessment
A clear picture of the damage has still not emerged.
Despite reports of three deaths, Sareyah said the government couldn't confirm the casualty count, adding that there were 11 confirmed injuries. Phone lines in Mukalla had been knocked out, making confirmation difficult.
But Dr. Mamdouh Afif, the head of Al-Hajareen Hospital in Mukalla, was aware of at least one death – a young man who fell off his roof after climbing on top to seek safety.
OCHA, too, was unable to confirm the extent of the damage. Before the storm, it predicted 1.8 million people would be affected, including more than 100,000 internally displaced people and 27,000 refugees and migrants.
“We have reports from Mukalla of very severe flooding, and locals report that the water level has risen by about nine meters,” said Rhodes-Stampa.
From what he could gather, “the situation is pretty grim.”
Authorities had a better handle on the destruction on Socotra, an island some 350 kilometres from the mainland that was hit over the weekend.
General Abdullah Jumaan, head of security forces’ operations’ room for the island, told IRIN there had been no deaths but the “property damage is huge.” He listed damages to main roads, and said 117 homes were destroyed and 612 more severely damaged. There is no power on the island, he added.
Socotra local Mohammed Sayed described the scene: “Everyone went the roofs of their houses to keep safe, but many of the houses were destroyed,” he told IRIN.
Ongoing problems
The danger from Chapala has not passed. Yemen’s dry coastal region receives, on average, less than 2 inches of rain each year. The cyclone has dumped several times that in the span of a day.
The terrain doesn’t absorb water well, and Rhodes-Stampa said OCHA was anticipating “significant flooding, flash flooding and standing water.”
“This isn’t going to be the end of it,” he added.
As the storm whirled in, the World Health Organization in Yemen warned on its Twitter account that “in case of floods and sea surges, risks of drowning and water… and vector-borne disease increase.”
In a country where the health system is deteriorating fast and 8.6 million Yemenis had no access to healthcare even before the conflict began, this is cause for serious concern.
Yemen: Yemen - Tropical Cyclone CHAPALA (ECHO, GDACS, JTWC, NMS, NASA, Media) (ECHO Daily Flash of 3 November 2015)
Tropical Cyclone CHAPALA has been affecting southern Yemen with heavy rainfall, strong winds, storm surge and high waves. As of 2 November, the island of Socotra recorded over 100 people injured, 80 houses destroyed and another 100 partially damaged, according to local media. One death has been reported by international media. Evacuations along the island's coast had taken place before CHAPALA's approach. The heavy rains triggered severe floods in the town of Mukalla. There are no reports yet about casualties and level of damages. There is still no information about the inland situation. CHAPALA moved west, towards the southern-central coast of Yemen, weakening significantly over the past 24 h, but remaining a strong Tropical Cyclone.
On 3 November around 06.00 a.m. CHAPALA has seemingly made landfall south west of Mukalla town (Navy NRL TC). The storm started to dissipate after landing, but heavy rains and strong winds will continue to provoke floods, mudslides and landslides. The archipelago of Socotra, the governorates of Shabwah and Hadramaut and possibly also those of Abyan, Marib and Al Bayda will continue being affected by heavy rainfall and strong winds over the next 24 h. The province of Shabwah might be the one most affected.
Emirates Red Crescent Authority (ERC), the Khalifa Foundation and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre announced they will establish an air bridge to dispatch relief items to Al Mahra, Hadramout, Shabwa and East Socotra provinces.
World: Global Emergency Overview Snapshot 28 October - 3 November 2015
Snapshot 28 October – 3 November 2015
Syria: 1 million more people are in need of humanitarian assistance than a year ago, as the total is now at 13.5 million. 6.6 million people are internally displaced, with 120,000 newly displaced in Aleppo, Hama, and Idleb governorates. Shelter, food, and WASH are reported as priority needs for the newly displaced.
CAR: After four members of the UPC political party were killed in an attack in Bangui, three other people were killed in reprisals. Communal violence escalated in the following days. The increase in violence in the country since September has affected food security.
Iraq: 26 residents of Camp Hurriya were killed as Al Mukhtar Army, an Iraqi Shia militia, launched 15 rockets on the camp near Baghdad, which houses Iranian exiles. Violence has caused over 18,000 civilian casualties in 2015, according to the UN, and displaced nearly 3.2 million. Heavy rains in late October have compounded the humanitarian situation, flooding areas of Baghdad, Anbar, Salah al Din, and Diyala.
Updated: 03/11/2015. Next update: 10/11/2015
World: Desert Locust Bulletin 445 (October 2015)
Strict vigilance required during the next six months due to heavy rains
The current Desert Locust situation remains calm. Late summer breeding is in progress in northern Niger and breeding is underway in northwest Mauritania. Low numbers of locusts persist in northeast Chad and in the interior of Sudan.
During November, small-scale breeding will cause locust numbers to increase in northwest Mauritania and is likely to extend to areas that received heavy rains. Low numbers of locusts will appear along both sides of the Red Sea and also breed on a small scale.
There have been several significant events recently that will require regular monitoring and vigilance during the next six months in a number of locust-affected countries.
In Northwest Africa, unusually heavy rains fell over a widespread area of northern Mauritania, including the northwest of the country as well as adjacent areas of Western Sahara, southern Morocco and western Algeria between 15 and 25 October. Many places received several times more rain than usually falls during the entire year. As a result, ecological conditions are likely to remain favourable for Desert Locust breeding and survival for at least the next six months, even in the absence of further rainfall. In addition, good rains also fell in southwest Libya.
In the Arabian Peninsula, heavy rains associated with tropical cyclone Chapala fell in southern coastal and interior areas of Yemen on 2-3 November. The torrential rains which far exceeded the annual average rainfall for the entire year caused flooding and damage. As a result, ecological conditions are likely to become favourable for locusts and remain so until at least next spring.
In the Horn of Africa, above-average rains associated with a very strong El Nino are predicted to fall over northern Somalia during this winter and next spring. If so, ecological conditions will become favourable for breeding on the northwest coast and the Somali plateau.
In the winter breeding areas along both sides of the Red Sea, seasonal rains commenced in early October, which is slightly earlier than normal. As a result, ecological conditions will become favourable for breeding in coastal areas of Sudan, northern Eritrea, southeast Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Yemen and, if the rains continue, there would be sufficient time for two generations of breeding to occur this year.
Yemen: WHO scales up response in Yemen for cyclone Chapala
Sana'a, 2 November 2015 — The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Public Health and Population in Yemen are intensifying efforts to respond to the serious consequences of Cyclone Chapala which is expected to hit parts of the country in the coming days.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the effects of this cyclone will be felt over large parts of Yemen. The effects are likely to be more severe in Shabwah and Hadhramaut, which have a combined population of about 1.8 million people. This includes more than 100 000 internally displaced persons and 27 000 refugees and migrants.
In preparation for the health impact of the cyclone, WHO has delivered trauma kits for 1000 patients in the Mukalla district of Hadramout governorate. The organization is also providing 20 000 litres of diesel to 8 hospitals to ensure their continued functionality, as well as 2500 litres of petrol in order for 16 ambulances to continue to provide emergency services.
A Strategic Health Operations Centre (SHOC) is being established in the WHO office in Sana’a while the Ministry of Health continues to function from its WHO-supported operations room. In addition, WHO’s sub-office in Aden is on alert and working with partner agencies in the south to finalize their plans. "We are in a regular contact with the health authorities in Mukalla and rapid response teams from the Ministry of Health to provide health information and carry out constant surveillance and assessment," said Dr Ahmed Shadoul, WHO Representative for Yemen. "WHO, health partners and health authorities are on high alert to ensure preparedness measures are in place and provide a timely response."
Ethiopia: IOM Helps Ethiopians Return Home from Yemen, Djibouti
Ethiopia - IOM has helped 54 Ethiopians who were stranded in Djibouti and Yemen to return home.
The group included 22 unaccompanied minors, including a 12-year old girl named Ayisha. “I left Jijiga for Saudi Arabia with a friend of mine who is 20. My friend told me that I could work with her. I was living with my grandmother and was going to school. When I heard about the war in Yemen, I decided to come back home from Djibouti. But my friend continued to Yemen,” she said.
Ayisha and the other 21 (boys) are undergoing family tracing and reunification procedures at the IOM transit centre in Addis Ababa, in close coordination with UNICEF and the Ethiopian Ministry of Women Children and Youth Affairs.
Through its Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) program, IOM Djibouti has been helping hundreds of vulnerable Ethiopians to return home. In October 2015 alone, it repatriated 137 Ethiopians, 29 of them unaccompanied minors.
For further information, please contact Alemayehu Seifeselassie at IOM Ethiopia, Tel: +251.11. 6611117 (Ext. 455), Mobile: +251.91.163-9082 Email: salemayehu@iom.int
