Integrated shelter assistance for vulnerable households in Yemen The complexity of the current context in Yemen necessitates an integrated, multi-sectoral response that addresses emergency needs faced by victims of displacement as well as members of the host communities. This is especially important as households face severe rates of malnutrition and the conflict continues, making it harder for households to meet their basic needs, often underlying factors that can prevent malnutrition – such as access to clean and safe water, and regular, sufficient food. When households, especially IDPs, do not have access to sustained, safe shelter, they often do not have the time or resources to then invest in food, much less nutritious food, water, or healthcare. Even more so, they are exposed to the elements, which exacerbates their precarious position in the face of malnutrition. In Yemen, households across the country face severe shelter needs that prevent them from investing in communities and in their own households in a way that can battle or prevent a slide in to food insecurity or malnutrition. Internally displaced families across the country, especially those living in collective shelters or spontaneous settlements, live without any regular access to safe shelter (or other services), often forced to move between districts or sites as tensions rise when public buildings like schools are occupied. ACTED aims to support these households in Ibb and Taizz in providing healthy, clean, and safe shelter options with regular access to sanitation facilities and, at least temporarily food security. ACTED recognizes the special vulnerabilities these households face and expects to alleviate their immediate risk to malnutrition, but also the long term risk by providing them shelter so other resources can be invested in preventing underlying or immediate causes of malnutrition. Similarly, host community or returnee households face vulnerability as they have less means to respond to natural forces, such as flooding or cold weather. Similar to IDP households, when faced with the raw elements, these households are further exposed to sickness and malnutrition. ACTED proposes to pre-empt the impact of bad weather on families by distribution of materials that will ease the impact of winter weather in Sa’ada and Ibb as well as preparing to respond to shelter emergencies in Hudaydah and Raymah. Especially in places like Sa’ada, where the conflict has had a large impact on the availability of water sources, ACTED will work with communities to identify where risk to malnutrition is highest (due to lack of sanitation or clean water) and try to sustainably increase access to WASH inputs to further enhance the impact of winterization activities. 

In summary, in response to the severe shelter needs across Yemen, ACTED will implement a three-part intervention in order to respond to the immediate needs of households to feel safe before they can properly address their food security, WASH, and nutrition needs. These are designed bearing in mind the strategic and time critical objectives set by the Shelter/NFI/CCCM Cluster in Yemen, with activities addressing: 1) alternative shelter solutions for IDP households 2) NFI and shelter contingency stocks and, 3) winterization assistance. Where possible, ACTED has integrated WASH and Food Security activities as shelter needs are often compounded and inextricably linked with WASH and Food Security needs. This program will aim to reduce the vulnerability of almost 75,000 vulnerable people across Yemen, particularly in Ibb, Taizz, Sa’ada, and the Hudaydah Hub (covering Hudaydah and Raymah governorates). ACTED has worked closely with the local authorities and Cluster leads to identify the key needs in these areas and to use appropriate modalities of response, particularly with a Rapid Response Mechanism for the Hudaydah Hub and the relocation of IDPs out of schools in Ibb.