nlp-thedeep/humsetbias huggingface dataset:
Made possible by funding from the Government of Japan, UNDP in Yemen – in partnership with OXFAM – recently conducted a series of Psychological Support Sessions  ( PSS )  for participants from the districts of Craiter and Attawahi in Aden, and Tuban and Tur Al Bahaha in Lahj. Supported by UNDP's Livelihood and Human Security project, 600 participants received potentially lifesaving training and counseling to help them deal with post traumatic stresses caused by living through conflict such as loss of lives, loss of property and bearing witness to extreme violence.
On December 5, the Integrated Security Classification  ( IPC ) , a landmark in the fight against food insecurity, declared a “catastrophic situation' in several parts of Yemen. Referring to its assessment results, the IPC highlights the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation brought on by a four year deadly conflict. Action Against Hunger reiterates its call for the immediate cessation of hostilities in Yemen and emphasizes the need to ensure an adequate environment in which the aid system and humanitarian agencies can safely operate.
20 million people in Yemen are in need of humanitarian assistance. Without a political solution, more aid will only prolong the agony of the Yemeni people. If peace is not brought about soon the blood of tens of thousands more Yemenis will be on the hands of the warring parties, as well as those who allow them to wage war with such impunity' said Jonathan Cunliffe, Regional Operations Director for Action Against Hunger in the Middle East.
A great number of Yemenis are marginally able to meet minimum food needs, which correspond to IPC Acute Food Insecurity Phase 3  ( Crisis )  and 4  ( Emergency ) . Almost a quarter of a million people are barely surviving or under the “Catastrophic situation' or Phase 5 which means high level of acute malnutrition and excess mortality rate.
Mercy Corps is currently providing food assistance to approximately a quarter million people and reached more than 3.7 million people with humanitarian assistance last year in Yemen.
The Ministry of Public Health and Population of Yemen has reported 12 289 suspected cases and 10 associated deaths during epidemiological week 45  ( 5 – 11 November )  in 2018. Of these, 13% are severe cases. The cumulative total number of suspected cholera cases from 01 January 2018 to 11 November 2018 is 280 198, with 372 associated deaths  ( CFR 0.13% ) . Children under five represent 32% of the total suspected cases while 22 out of 23 governorates and 306 out of 333 districts in Yemen have been affected. To date, out of 9398 stool samples collected during 2018, 2899 cases have been confirmed as cholera positive by culture at central public health laboratories. This reporting period, 39 stool samples from Amanat Al Asimah, Taizz and Sanaa were tested positive.
UNHCR is responding to the shelter and protection needs of close to 50,000 people in the northern governorates of Jawf and Sa'ada. In cooperation with local authorities, UNHCR identified 6,800 displaced families who recently fled from Al Hudaydah and Hajjah governorates. Needs assessments and verification have been completed, and core relief items  ( CRI )  and emergency shelter kits  ( ESK )  have been distributed to the families requiring them. Meanwhile, cash is being disbursed to families for whom it is a more appropriate form of assistance, to enable them to choose how best to meet their shelter and protection needs.
According to data published in the latest Civilian Impact Monitoring Report  ( CIMP ) , an estimated 670 incidents of armed violence resulted in 1,478 civilian casualties during a three month period. Of this total, thirty three per cent were women and children, of which 217 were killed and 268 injured.
Sa'ada and Al Hudaydah governorates, which remain flashpoints of conflict in Yemen, accounted for the largest number of casualties within this period, while 26 mass casualty incidents, in which ten or more civilians were killed or injured, accounted for more than half of all overall casualties.
UNHCR is responding to the needs of displaced Yemenis with emergency cash assistance and other forms of aid. Since the beginning of the year UNHCR has provided almost 250,000 displaced and conflict affected Yemenis with cash assistance.
The MSP touches the lives of over 6.5 million Yemenis. It supports an estimated 125 health facilities and more than 2600 health care workers across the country. As MSP continues to expand, the hope is that more men, women and children will be treated.
According to the latest IPC analysis, from December 2018 to January 2019, while accounting for the current levels of Humanitarian Food Assistance  ( HFA ) , 17% of the population analyzed  ( about 5 million people )  are in IPC Phase 4  ( Emergency )  and 36%  ( about 10.8 million people )  in IPC Phase 3  ( Crisis ) . Of greatest concern are the 65,000 people in IPC Phase 5  ( Catastrophe ) . Overall, this constitutes 15.9 million or 53% of the total population. It is estimated that in the absence of HFA, about 20 million people or 67% of the total population  ( including Internally Displaced People   IDPs )  would be in need of urgent action to save lives and livelihoods. This includes 240,000 people in IPC Phase 5  ( Catastrophe ) , i.e. threefold the actual number.
The ongoing conflict and the resultant economic crisis are the main drivers of food insecurity in Yemen. Four years of protracted conflict have left the country's critical economic and civil infrastructure in ruins, displaced more than three million people, led to significant loss of income and livelihoods, increased prices of basic foods up to double pre crisis levels and pushed the economy close to a downfall. The liquidity crisis and the hard currency scarcity from commercial banks in the entire country affect the overall economic system, on both supply and demand sides. On the supply side, imports of essential commodities continue to suffer from lack of foreign currencies as a result of continued depreciation of Yemen Riyal  ( YER )  against US Dollar  ( USD ) .
One the demand side, despite relatively functional markets, financial access to food remains of great concern, as the prices of basic commodities continue to increase due to depreciation of the national currency, high import taxes, double taxation and increased transport and storage costs. The economic access to food remained the main constraint for most of the population including civil servants who are normally better off. A great portion of the population, even in the more stable areas, cannot access basic food commodities as the cost of the Minimum/Survival Food Basket continues to increase on monthly basis. Currently, the cost of the Minimum/Survival Food Basket is about 150% compared to pre crisis levels. Prices of fuel products such as petrol, diesel and cooking gas cylinders have increased since escalation of conflict compared to the pre crisis era and is expected to increase further.
Access to low quality water and in diminishing quantities at household levels contributed negatively to food preparation while cost of cooking fuel particularly cooking gas went up sharply since February and remained high and at some point, was unavailable. High number of suspected cases of disease like Cholera, malaria and acute diarrhea is compromising the food utilization compounded by malnourished children and collapsed health system and services
Despite the Humanitarian Food Assistance provided in Al Bayda, Al Dhale'e, Al Hudaydah, Al Mahwit, Amran, Hajjah, Saada'a and Taiz, there exist presence of pockets of households experiencing extreme food gaps and exhaustion of coping strategies. Food security outcomes portray an extremely dire situation where more than half of the population are in the most affected districts are classified in IPC Phase 4  ( Emergency )  and 45 districts with nearly 240,000 population are classified in IPC Phase 5  ( Catastrophe )  based on extremely high proportions of population with poor food score and household hunger score in the absence of Humanitarian food assistance.
Humanitarian organizations recorded a significant reduction of hostilities in Yemen's Al Hudaydah city in mid November amid an informal pause in fighting between Al Houthi forces and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  ( KSA )  led Coalition. However, fighting in areas around the city resumed during the week of November 19, according to international media. In a November 26 statement, five international non governmental organizations  ( NGOs )  appealed to the U.S. Government  ( USG )  to call on all parties to Yemen's conflict to end hostilities, citing increasing humanitarian need across the country.
With UNICEF support, five Therapeutic Feeding Centres  ( TFCs )  continue to provide in patient management for malnourished patients in Al Garrahi, Al Khawkah, Zabid, Al Marawi'ah and Az Zadiah districts. The TFC in Al Thawrah Hospital continues to receive referrals of children with SAM. • WHO is supporting seven stabilization centres in Marawi'ah, Al Hawak, Bajil, Dhahi, Munira, Mansuriya, and Bayt al Faqiah. • As of 30 September, 68 per cent of children with SAM were admitted to OTPs, 79 per cent of PLW received support with Infant and Young Child Feeding  ( IYCF )  and 65 per cent of children received micronutrient supplements in Al Hudaydah Governorate. • WHO supported 608 admissions to 14 TFCs in Al Hudaydah and Hajjah governorates, of these, 42 referrals were from Al Thawra Hospital in Al Hudaydah City
Humanitarian organizations recorded a nearly 50 percent reduction in civilian casualty incidents in Al Hudaydah city from November 12 to 25 amid an informal pause in fighting between Al Houthi forces and the KSA led Coalition, according to the UN. However, fighting continued in other areas of Al Hudaydah Governorate, primarily in At Tuhayat District south of Al Hudaydah city, and resumed near Al Hudaydah city during the week of November 19, international media report. The Protection Cluster the coordinating body for humanitarian protection activities, comprising UN agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders estimates that conflict around Al Hudaydah city resulted in approximately 1,500 civilian casualties in November, with fighting damaging an estimated 200 civilian shelters and an unspecific number of farms and humanitarian sites. Humanitarian actors continue to pre position relief supplies in the city in the event of conflict induced restrictions on humanitarian access to Al Hudaydah Port or disruptions of overland transport routes from the city.
 The UN estimates that fighting in areas near Al Hudaydah city displaced approximately 534,000 people between June and October. In October and November, Rapid Response Mechanism partners registered approximately 98,000 internally displaced persons  ( IDPs )  from Al Hudaydah city, the UN reports
Integrated Food Security Phase Classification  ( IPC )  representatives are conducting a food security analysis to identify the severity and magnitude of food insecurity in Yemen. The last IPC assessment in Yemen took place in 2017 and identified 107 of Yemen's 333 districts to be in need of multisector assistance to mitigate the risk of famine. The UN estimates that approximately 17.8 million people in Yemen are food insecure, with large populations continuing to face Crisis IPC 3 or Emergency IPC 4 levels of acute food insecurity, according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network  ( FEWS NET ) .4 In a December 4 statement, WFP Executive Director David Beasley reported that the forthcoming IPC assessment would show an increase in food insecurity but that current food security conditions may not meet the criteria to declare famine. Food security actors will use the assessment results to identify and target Yemen's most vulnerable populations with emergency food assistance
Additionally, Nutrition Cluster partners have pre positioned emergency nutrition supplies sufficient to support 42,000 children younger than five years of age experiencing MAM and 14,200 children experiencing SAM until the end of December.
From November 1–15, a USAID/OFDA partner rehabilitated nearly 130 water sources in seven governorates, with an additional 10 water sources under construction, and delivered more than 1.8 million liters of safe drinking water to communities in the governorates. In November, the partner also supported health facilities to treat nearly 230 children five years of age and younger, as well as pregnant and lactating women, experiencing MAM.
During October, a USAID/OFDA partner reached nearly 25,000 people with primary health care consultations through more than 10 mobile medical teams and more than 90 static health facilities across seven governorates. The partner also vaccinated more than 700 children for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenza type b during the month. Furthermore, the partner provided antenatal care to nearly 1,900 women; child delivery services to nearly 1,900 women; and post natal care to nearly 1,000 women through emergency obstetric and newborn care facilities.
In Aden Governorate, a UNHCR team visited two collective centres housing internally displaced persons  ( IDP ) . The team identified shelter and WASH related gaps, including water shortages, inadequate water and sewage management. Activities are underway to upgrade the two centres – Al Shaab and Fuqoom – which are located in Al Buraiqeh district, west of Aden city
Stopping the downwards spiral in Yemen requires a combination of urgent measures: a political process back on track, a progressive de escalation of the conflict, free circulation of imports and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid. But it also requires a strong respect of the rules of war.
UNHCR's winter response continues in Yemen. Over 6,000 households have been assessed for shelter and protection needs. Vulnerable people living in areas at higher altitudes are prioritised for winter assistance as they are more exposed to harsh weather conditions. Recent assessments have been completed in Al Maghrabah and Kuhlan Affar, in the highlands of Hajjah Governorate, 70km northwest of Sana'a. In the highlands of Sana'a and nearby in Amanat Al Asimah, the needs of close to 1,000 households were also assessed. Where assessments have identified people with immediate needs, such as serious medical cases, urgent assistance has been provided. Other vulnerable households, with substantial but less urgent needs will be assisted in the next round of distributions. More than 10,000 families will receive cash based assistance to cover their basic needs during the winter.
Disbursements are ongoing as part of UNHCR's plans to provide USD 41 million in cash assistance in Yemen this year. To date in 2018, UNHCR has provided cash assistance to over 63,000 households, including IDPs, IDP returnees and vulnerable members of the host community. Of those, over 26,000 received cash to help respond to protection needs while more than 37,000 received rental subsidies for shelter.
As part of The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center's on going efforts to reduce risks associated with landmines that have been indiscriminately planted in Yemen by the Iran backed Houthi militia, the Masam project for landmine clearance announced on Friday that during the third week of November, it has cleared 21,784 mines and other improvised explosive devices and unexploded ordnance in Marib and the western coast of Yemen. The project has also removed 2,223 diverse mines planted with utter disregard for civilian safety​ throughout Yemeni lands, including in schools, homes, roads, and civilian areas.
Between 13 and 26 November, Rapid Response Mechanism  ( RRM )  partners registered 4,700 displaced families. Overall, partners working across the Al Hudaydah hub area have identified 133,916 displaced families from Al Hudaydah Governorate since June 2018. Of the displaced families, 130,879 have received RRM assistance. The conflict continues to affect humanitarian operations. WFP reports that for the past two months, fighting has prevented its staff from providing food assistance to almost 250,000 people in two conflict affected districts of Ad Durayhimi District.
The Red Sea Mills have been inaccessible since September, reducing WFP's milling capacity by 20 per cent across the country; the mills store 51,000 metric tonnes  ( MT )  of wheat, enough to feed 3.7 million people for a month. Despite the situation, WFP continues to do everything it can to deliver assistance across Al Hudaydah Governorate. In October, it provided general food assistance to over 300,000 people in the governorate, including over 66,000 people in Al Hudaydah City.
Markets and schools in the centre of Al Hudaydah City have remained open for the most part and local people still move around. However, recent fighting moved close to some hospitals, affecting the movement and safety of staff, patients and ambulances. On 8 November, the 22 May Hospital in the northwest of the city was reportedly damaged in hostilities after it was fully evacuated.
Our staff are on the frontline of this crisis in Sana'a and Hodeida. They tell us that women, children and grown men are visibly scared for their lives and their loved ones. The shops have long ago shut their doors and the streets are completely empty by nightfall. Food is running out. There is little or no electricity and after almost four years of war, every day spent under these deeply uncertain conditions can feel like an eternity. While humanitarian NGOs must be granted full access to all of those affected by the conflict, a more permanent solution is needed.
Half of Yemeni children  ( under the age of 5 )  – half – are chronically malnourished. This is a vicious cycle. 1.1 million pregnant or lactating women are anemic. When giving birth, these women know that their children will be of low birth weight, starting that cycle of malnutrition and leading to chronic malnutrition and all the health consequences for these boys and girls. As we all know, chronic malnutrition has an incredibly important impact on a child's brain development.
Ongoing insecurity around Al Hudaydah and Al Saleef ports is a major threat to food security in Yemen, as these ports have traditionally supplied approximately 90 percent of Yemen's monthly food requirements and 40–50 percent of the country's fuel needs; FEWS NET warns that prolonged disruption of the ports' operations would likely tip areas of the country into Famine  ( IPC 5 )  conditions. Additionally, deteriorating macroeconomic conditions highlighted by the sharp devaluation of the national currency since July 2018 threaten to push millions of additional Yemenis into food insecurity, the UN reports.
UNFPA has distributed 300 RRM kits with the help of the NGO Society for Humanitarian Solidarity  ( SHS )  in Sayhut District. The kits consist of food for a family for a week  ( provided by WFP ) , a basic hygiene kit  ( provided by UNICEF )  and a transition kit  ( provided by UNFPA ) . Another 450 RRM kits are on the way from Mukalla and 3,000 are on the way to affected areas from Aden.
Separately, significant depreciation of the rial since July has led to broader fears that staple food prices could increase even further beyond the capacity for households to meet their basic food needs. Between July and October 2018, the value of the Yemeni Rial dropped by half, from 496 YER/USD to between 700 and 800 YER/USD. Although staple food prices have largely withstood currency depreciation over the past two years, staple food prices have increased considerably in recent months, including a 35 percent increase since July 2018 in Sana'a City  ( Figure 1 ) . Households in Yemen typically access a major share of their food by purchasing imported wheat. Sharp price increases, alongside already very low household income, significantly limit households' ability to meet their food needs. As a result, households in worst affected areas are likely engaging in severe coping strategies and/or face large food consumption gaps. In recent months, humanitarian actors have scaled up to provide essential food distributions to more than seven million of the more than 15 million people requiring emergency food assistance.
Yemen faces the largest food security emergency in the world and the worsening humanitarian outlook requires urgent action to reduce the likelihood of significant loss of life.More than 15 million people require emergency food assistanceeach month, many of whom face food consumption gaps large enough to lead to increases in human mortality. The severe depreciation of the Yemeni Rial  ( YER )  since July and closure of key trade routes could result in sharper price increases for food and essential commodities, and further deteriorate the food security situation. Although high quality data on current outcomes is limited,awaiting improvements in data availability and quality may only confirm the severity of outcomes after they occur. All parties must act now to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and protect human life.
In June, the start of the ongoing military offensive in Al Hudaydah significantly increased the probability that key port facilities would be damaged, or that trade from the ports to urban areas of the country would be cut off for a prolonged period. InFEWS NET's analysis, these events would likely lead to Famine  ( IPC Phase 5 )  in Yemen. As of October 2018, this worst case scenario has not yet occurred, though the threat of significant import disruptions persists. In addition, significant population displacement within and from Al Hudaydah, disruptions to key services and infrastructure, the closure of some crucial trade routes, difficult humanitarian access, continued disruptions to essential livelihoods activities, government restrictions on imports through informal channels, and recent increases in caseloads for cholera and other diseases, continue to impact households' ability to access food.
There are systemic problems that help cholera thrive: poor sanitation and hygiene, shortages of clean water – all aggravated by the war. “But this is not new in Hodeidah,' she says.
“When we noticed many displaced people don't have clean water and their baths are outdoors, that's when we felt cholera was going to come back,' Mohammed said. The hospital began to see an uptick of cases in September, and now several rooms are dedicated to treating the disease.
UNICEF has agreed to provide health and nutrition emergency support to health authorities in Al Maharah. It will also transport additional drugs and six basic health kits to Al Maharah. • A national partner, Field Medical Foundation, plans to re  deploy mobile teams from Abyan, Shabwah, and Mukalla to areas of need in the east.
Conflict, cholera, risk of famine and currency depreciation, continue to exacerbate the vulnerabilities of the population. In particular, women, children and persons with specific needs are at heightened risk from conflict and the consequent loss of heads of households, family separation and breakdown of community structures. A recent report of UNHCR funded protection monitoring partners found that more than 71% households contained a member with a specific need or vulnerability, and 12% of households reported a member exhibiting signs of conflict related psychological distress or trauma related to the conflict.
“The Government of the United Kingdom has been a critical financial contributor and advocate for WFP's operations in Yemen,' said WFP Yemen Representative Stephen Anderson. “This contribution could not be more timely as the food security situation in Yemen is deteriorating at a rapid pace, despite continued food assistance to nearly eight million people across the country.'
Yemen is currently grappling with the world's largest hunger crisis, with two thirds of the population not knowing where their next meal will come from. In addition, Yemen is among five countries with the highest prevalence of acute malnutrition in the world, with 300,000 children under the age of five at risk of dying from causes related to malnutrition.
WFP's ability to respond to escalating needs in the country hinges on timely and sustained finan cial contributions from donor nations. The UK government has been one of WFP's most consistent and reliable partners in Yemen, and has provided a total of £77.2 million  ( US$102 million )  between 2017 and 2018 to support emergency food programmes, including through logistical and nutrition support. WFP nutritional support has so far prevented and treated acute malnutrition among 300,000 pregnant and nursing women across the country.
Al Maharah is the most seriously affected governorate with heavy to medium rains still falling in northern areas of Man'ar, Sayhut, Al Masilah and Qishn districts. Continuing rains might trigger further flooding towards coastal areas of Al Ghaydah, Hat, Shahn, and Hawf districts. In Al Masilah District, the main bridge that connects Al Maharah and Hadramaut governorates has been seriously damaged with humanitarian partners trying to find alternative access roads from Al Mukalla. The road that links Hawf District to Oman is also seriously damaged.
Initial needs assessments by Rapid Response Mechanism  ( RRM )  teams indicate that more than 3,000 households have been displaced. This includes 650 households in Al Masilah district, 210 in Sayhut, 200 in Qishn, 250 in Huswain and 2,000 in Al Ghaydah. The number of displaced persons is expected to increase in the coming days when the situation allows more comprehensive and coordinated rapid needs assessments in various affected areas. Several humanitarian partners are on standby to conduct further assessments including deploying teams from Al Mukalla City.
Reports indicate that the rains have destroyed underground water wells. Local authorities and rescue teams report an urgent need for clean drinking water, shelter, food, medicines, and non food items. Families trapped in Monag, Al Abri and Tenhalen villages in Al Ghaydah District, as well as Al Masilah and Qishn districts, have been rescued by military helicopters.
Many are civilians caught in the crossfire of airstrikes and missiles. The intensification of the fighting about 50 kilometres north of Abs, in the area of Beni Hassan, close to the border with Saudi Arabia, has caused a massive new wave of displacement.
WHO has delivered trauma kits and shipped intravenous fluids to Al Ghaydah main hospital. • SHS is providing a mobile clinic in Sayhut. • Two emergency operations cells are operating 24 hours a day in Mukalla; medical staff and ambulances are on standby. • Emergency centres have been opened in Al Maharah. All hospitals and primary health care cent res are functional and working 24 hours a day. • WHO is sending 60,000 litres of diesel to support hospitals and health facilities in all district of Al Maharah as requested by the Governorate Health Office  ( GHO ) . WHO is in touch with the GHO to understand additional needs for medicine supplies. • UNFPA has reproductive health mobile clinics ready for deployment.
Two planes sent by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  ( KSA )  landed on 17 October in Al Ghaydah airport with 440 food baskets from the King Salman Relief Centre. Another 125 metric tonnes  ( MT )  of food baskets have been sent on four trucks from the KSA via the border crossing of Al Wadiyah to Al Maharah. • The national NGO Charitable Society for Social Welfare  ( CSSW  ) , has distributed 500 meals and ready to use food for 222 households in Al Ghaydah District. • Another national NGO, Estigaba'ah Foundation, plans to distribute food baskets for 100 households funded by the Kuwait Relief Organization from their warehouses in Al Mukalla.
UNICEF has 124 plastic water tanks  ( 1,000 litres )  and 1,000 hygiene kits pre positioned in Al Mukalla with a local partner, Rawaby Alkheer. Also available are 31 water tanks  ( 1,000 litres ) , 33 water tanks  ( 2,000 liters )  and chlorination tablets with the General Authority of Rural Water Supply Project in Al  Mukalla. WASH supplies pre positioned in Mukalla are ready to be dispatched once roads are open. • UNICEF in partnership with the local water company plans to conduct a technical needs assessment in Al Maharah and to truck water after the assessment is done. Estigaba'ah Foundation has 100 water tanks in Al Mukalla ready to be deployed. • UNICEF has distributed 7,000 leaflets on the prevention of cholera and other lifesaving messages to IDPs in 25 schools in Al Maharah.
Humanitarian actors are coordinating with local authorities in flood affected areas of Al Mahrah to provide emergency assistance. Reports indicate that rains have destroyed underground water wells, with local authorities and rescue teams highlighting an urgent need for food, medicines, relief commodities, safe drinking water, and shelter supplies. As the lead agency coordinating the Rapid Response Mechanism  ( RRM ) , the UN Population Fund  ( UNFPA )  has sent 750 RRM kits containing immediate response rations and dignity and hygiene kits to Al Mahrah and other relief actors have dispatched an additional 3,450 RRM kits to the governorate, according to the UN.
Between June and mid October, WHO recorded more than 170 deaths and the injury of 1,700 people in Al Hudaydah Governorate amid ongoing conflict throughout the governorate. In Al Hudaydah's Khawkhah District, mortar shells hit an internally displaced person  ( IDP )  camp on October 6, resulting in the death of one civilian and the injury of 12 others, including eight children. In addition, October 13 airstrikes in Al Hudaydah's Jabal Ras District hit two buses transporting IDPs, resulting in at least 15 deaths and the injury of 20 people, according to the UN. UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Lise Grande issued statements condemning both incidents and calling on parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians.
People here are suffering from a fuel crisis, they have no income, no medicine and no electricity in their houses. Jets hover for long hours, especially at night. It's so scary. We can hear clashes – guns and exploding mortar on one side and airstrikes shake our whole building. It is so stressful and incredibly frightening.
An Emirati plane arrived at the Aden International Airport carrying the food supplements, as part of the first phase of the total 200 tonnes food supplement that will arrive in batches in the coming days. These nutritional supplements are essential for all age groups, especially children, and they are called Plumpy Sup and Plumpy Nut.
The spike in commodity prices has increased vulnerability, forcing households to adopt negative coping mechanisms such as buying less food or cheaper and less nutritious staples; purchasing on credit resulting in debt or spending more money on food supplies and neglecting other important expenses such health and education. In Ibb and Taizz governorates, an acute shortage of fuel and cooking gas is reported, with many people relying on the parallel market at 19,000 YER for 20 litres of fuel instead of 11,500 YER at some stations. In Al Hudaydah City, many exchange shops are either closing down or limiting operations.
A political solution to this problem is urgently needed as an entire generation of children is facing the loss of their education   and their future. During the reporting period, partners suspended the emergency cash transfer project because the project call centre was non functional. Meanwhile, the number of suspected dengue fever cases reported from 1 27 September in Taizz has reached 1,509 in with 15 associated deaths, in 14 districts. Partners are conducting response activities including awareness raising, spraying and treatment in Taizz City.
In Al Jawf, fears have arisen that most schools may close because salaries for teachers have not been paid. Six have already closed. Local authorities are discussing the issue with humanitarian partners. During the reporting period, WFP launched its general food distribution, targeting 103,379 households across the Sa'ada Governorate. UNHCR, through a local partner, distributed rental subsidies in six districts of Al Jawf to 2,761 households including IDPs and host community members. In Sha'adah District, Oxfam started the construction of the Rahban Water Project which will provide water to 12,000 people.
As of 30 September, 34,078 households displaced from Al Hudaydah had been registered in various governorates monitored by the Sana'a hub. Of these, 17,477 families have received rapid response assistance including 2,249 that received NFIs. One school in Sana'a City is still hosting IDPs. On 3 October, a shipment of three million doses of vaccines procured by UNICEF arrived at Sana'a International Airport. These will be used for a national vaccination campaign against measles and rubella for children aged 6 months to 15 years.
Sana'a Hub: During the reporting period, shelling and clashes were reported in Al Bayda Governorate, but casualties are unknown. Houses and farms were reportedly hit. On the humanitarian front, the authorities have appealed for assistance in Al Haymah Al Kharijiyah districts where most of the inhabitants can no longer generate sufficient income to buy food and water sources for six villages have dried up. Partners are responding to the situation despite access difficulties.
Aden hub: Tensions were reported in Aden City, as demonstrations took place against deteriorating public services and increased commodity prices. During the reporting period, displacement continued to areas monitored by the Aden hub. As of 3 October, the total number of families displaced from conflict areas reached 25,391 households, including 8,108 households from Al Hudaydah. In Al Dhale'e Govermorate, Médecins Sans Frontières  ( MSF )  closed hospital operations in Al Dhal'e City following two attacks against its staff in 10 days. MSF is one of the few medical organisations delivering humanitarian assistance to the community in Al Dhal'e. The operation was mainly treating casualties from the frontlines as well as non conflict related surgical cases around the city.
In terms of humanitarian response, 6,318 displaced households from Al Hudaydah have been registered for assistance, of whom 5,934 have received rapid response kits. In Al Mokha, humanitarian partners have distributed food baskets to 4,000 IDP households and to another1,000 IDP households in Dhubab. Food baskets have also been distributed to displaced households in Al Khawkha, along with NFIs to new IDPs. Food baskets have also been distributed to 10,182 households in Abyan and 39,432 in Shabwah governorates. Hygiene kits have been distributed to 422 households in Aden and to 366 households in Al Rebat camp in Lahj and in Al Dhale'e City.
The latest data from WHO indicates that the number of suspected cholera cases is accelerating in Yemen with roughly 10,000 suspected cases now reported per week. This is double the average numbers for the first eight months of this year, when a total of 154,527 suspected cases of cholera and 196 deaths were recorded. WHO explains that the increase has occurred in the context of conflict, lack of access to healthcare and WASH services, population movement and seasonality. In addition, surveillance for suspected cholera has increased in recent weeks, which means that more cases were detected.
On 6 October, one woman was killed and 12 civilians were injured, including eight children, in a shelling incident that occurred at the Bani Jaber internally displaced person  ( IDP )  camp in the Al Khawkhah district in Al Hudaydah Governorate. As many as 17 civilians have reportedly been killed or seriously injured in October. Since 2016, over 65,000 Yemenis are estimated to have either been killed or injured as a result of the conflict; this includes 16,000 civilian deaths that have been documented by the United Nations.
Local authorities estimate that between 50 and 70 families are trapped by fighting in the southern part of Al Hudaydah city, without access to food, clean water or healthcare services. Tens of other families are trapped in zones of active fighting in Ad Durayhimi District and are in dire humanitarian need. In recent days, however, relatively few civilians have been seen leaving the city. This might indicate that families who could afford moving out of Al Hudaydah City have already left and that only poorest households with no means to leave are left in the city.
According to WHO, only half of the health facilities in Al Hudaydah Governorate are still operational. In Al Hudaydah City, public hospitals are accessible and operational, but ongoing military operations have increased demand for health services such as trauma care and surgical supplies. The conflict has also damaged the water supply infrastructure, including sanitation facilities and water stations, limiting access to water and sanitation amenities and thereby increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.
Humanitarian partners have registered 72,207 households  ( HHs )  displaced both within Al Hudaydah Governorate and to areas covered by the Sana'a, Ibb, and Sa'ada humanitarian hubs. As of 29 September, 85,760 of the registered households  ( HHs )  had received Rapid Response Mechanism  ( RRM )  assistance, including 17,440 HHs who received multi purpose cash transfers, 21,723 HHs who received NFI packages and 5,871 who received emergency shelter kits.
On 1 October, WFP started the distribution of blanket food assistance to the regular caseload of 5,000 families plus an additional 10,989 families in Aslem District, Hajjah Governorate, who were targeted in response to reports of food insecurity in the district. WFP dispatched Moderate Acute Malnutrition  ( MAM )  nutritional supplies to support health units in the district. UNICEF has increased the number of mobile teams in the district to screen for cases of severe malnutrition. As of 2 October, 26 Severe Acute Malnutrition  ( SAM )  cases had been identified.
UNICEF, through partner organisations, has provided 550,000 litres of safe water per day to 7,900 displaced families within Al Hudaydah Governorate. With the assistance of the local water company in Hajjah and WFP, UNICEF has funded 265 water points serving 28,580 families in the governorate. The agency is also funding water points in Al Hudaydah city, providing approximately 22,500 cubic meters of water per day to 65,000 families.
WHO is supporting hospitals in Bajil, Bayt Al Faqiyah and Al Garrahi districts with trauma kits and intravenous fluids. The agency is also supporting surgical and primary health teams. WFP provided one off food assistance to 17,860 displaced HHs in Al Hudaydah, Hajjah, Raymah and Mahwit governorates. In Al Hudaydah Governorate, IOM provided shelter and NFIs to 89 displaced families who were living in the open in Al Mansuriyah District.
UNHCR completed a needs assessments for newly displaced families in As Sukhnah District and found that 2,973 families need non food items  ( NFIs )  and 1,853 families need enhanced emergency shelter kits  ( EESKs ) . IOM distributed NFI and EESKs to 89 families in Al Mansuriyah District. The kits will provide newly displaced families with essential household items and shelters.
In other developments in the treatment and prevention of cholera include, IOM has established a diarrhoea treatment centre in Az Zaydiyah District. This was in response to a recent increase in suspected cholera cases in the four governorates that fall under the Al Hudaydah hub. In Al Hudaydah City, the local cholera taskforce is resuming its weekly coordination meetings with health and WASH partners to address gaps in response.
NRC provided 232 displaced families with NFIs in Abs District in Hajjah Governorate. • UNHCR completed the transfer of cash grants for rental subsidies to 274 out of 303 IDP families living in nine schools in Amanat Al Asimah and 64 families living in three schools in Dhamar City and Jahran District. • The transfer of cash grants for rental subsidies to 102 IDP families in Aden and Lahj governorates was completed during the reporting period. NFIs have been distributed through a national partner to 26 IDP families in Amran Governorate.
ACF, UNICEF and a local water company provided 5,238 HHs with safe water through water systems and trucking in Abs, Aslem, Ku'aydinah districts, Hajjah Governorate. • UNICEF is rehabilitating the water network in Al Hali District in Al Hudaydah Governorate through a local water company and ACF is trucking water. • An additional 60 water points have been identified for water trucking in Haradh, Mustaba and Hayran in Hajjah and eight water points have been provided with 126,980 litres of safe water for IDPs in Al Mahwit Governorate.
Eight water schemes have been finalised in Mabyan, Ash Shaghadirah and Wadhrah in Hajjah. • Solidarités is trucking water in Hays and providing safe water to 60 tanks for IDPs. DRC has installed water pumps for IDPs and the host community in Al Mokha'a District in Taizz. • Fifty septic tanks have been constructed in Al Hali District as part of cholera response. Nine latrines were completed in Bajil District, and 400 latrines in Abs District for IDPs.
The Al Hudaydah port remains a vital conduit and lifeline for the delivery of humanitarian aid to those desperately in need. Eighty per cent of Yemen's imports, including food and basic commodities, enter the country through the Al Hudaydah port. Twenty eight million Yemenis, especially the eight million people at risk of starvation, rely on this port as a lifeline.
Immunization is a matter of life or death for millions of people in Yemen, especially children. A child dies every 10 minutes from preventable causes. The country's health system is hanging by a thread: most health workers have not been paid in two years, medical equipment is in short supply, and attacks on or near critical infrastructure such as water points and health facilities continue to be a daily reality. Widespread acute malnutrition among children is making them more vulnerable to diarrhoeal diseases.
Despite the volatile security environment, UNHCR and partners continue to carry out activities countrywide from hubs in Sana'a, Aden, Ibb, Hudaydah and Sa'ada. While humanitarian access and delivery remain affected by continuous insecurity and other impediments, UNHCR nonetheless continues to advocate for unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access and for the protection of civilians. Given the recent escalation of conflict within Al Hudaydah Governorate, UNHCR is responding to the emerging needs of IDPs and refugees with protection monitoring assessments, psychosocial counselling, multipurpose cash, legal assistance and referrals to specialised services.
Protection Cluster: UNHCR leads the Protection Cluster, ensuring a coordinated response to the protection needs of the displaced and conflict affected population of Yemen. With the ongoing conflict in Al Hudaydah and other emerging frontlines, protection of civilians remains paramount. In 2018, the Protection Cluster expanded its Civilian Impact Monitoring Project, an activity to assess and analyse the impact on civilians of real time conflict events, in order to assist our protection and humanitarian response follow up in the affected areas as well as collective advocacy for the protection of civilians. In response to the Al Hudaydah crisis, Protection Cluster partners, including in child protection and Gender Based Violence, as well as community based networks, are being mobilized to provide emergency protection assistance at transit areas, distribution sites, schools, and in the communities.
With regard to IDPs and IDP returnees, an important component of UNHCR'S protection activities is to guarantee access to adequate shelter in humanitarian emergencies. Across Yemen, some two million IDPs are struggling to cope in displacement, in addition to close to one million returnees, who require emergency assistance. Many are destitute in the absence of livelihoods, access to income, health care and sufficient food.
With regards to the Hudaydah crisis, UNHCR has assisted displaced families by distributing 26,767 CRIs and 4,430 emergency shelter kits from the start of June to 15 September. ■ Shelter/NFI/CCCM Cluster: UNHCR is also lead agency of the Shelter/ NFI/ CCCM Cluster, providing guidance and support along with critical coordination to all partners responding to shelter needs.
Health care remains a critical need with only 45 percent of health facilities functioning in country. UNHCR in cooperation with partners, provides primary health care services, pharmaceutical and reproductive health services, and HIV/AIDS prevention and response for refugees and Yemeni host communities. UNHCR also provides mental health support and has established referral mechanisms with local hospitals for emergency cases and persons with complicated medical conditions. So far 59,891 medical consultations have been facilitated by UNHCR across the country in 2018, of which 32,341 were for refugees and asylum seekers and 27,550 for host community members. In Sana'a, alone 52,785 refugees and 11,104 host community members have been reached through community outreach activities focused on health.
UNHCR is also responding to prevent and control the spread of cholera among refugee and host populations through a Cholera Treatment Centre in Kharaz refugee camp and Diarrhoea Treatment Unit in Al Basateen urban area, an oral rehydration station in Aden, and active case identification and referrals including at two health centres in Sana'a. Furthermore, UNHCR conducts capacity building of health staff, hygiene promotion and community awareness campaigns to combat the spread of cholera. In response to the 2017 outbreak of cholera, the UNHCR led Protection Cluster has also boosted cholera prevention efforts through the CBPNs, including training for volunteers as part of a comprehensive, system wide response. UNHCR is also supporting community health outreach and providing awareness sessions about Diphtheria.
“Hodeida is once again trapped in violence with hundreds of thousands of Yemenis caught in the middle. The upcoming talks cannot be an excuse to disregard the laws of war that protect the lives of the Yemeni people,' said Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC's regional director for the Near and Middle East. "Wars have rules and parties to the conflict must respect them, even in the fiercest battles.'
CRC teams on the ground have seen how fear is rising among Yemeni people of being accidentally hit or purposely targeted. Fighting is nearing health centers, which led to the interruption of services in Hodeida's 22nd May Hospital. The city's biggest hospital, Al Thawra, is mere meters from the frontline, and if more health structures are rendered dysfunctional, the remaining facilities might not have the capacity to provide regular services or cope with an influx of casualties.
Displacement continued to be generated from the frontline governorates such as Sa'ada, Al Jawf and Al Bayda as well as by the renewed hostilities in Al Hudaydah Governorate. As the coping mechanisms of the families continue to be eroded by the conflict, the vulnerability of people has increased. Lack of access due to security constraints continue to challenge the humanitarian response.
The Health Custer is operational in 22 Governorates in Yemen. Over the reporting period, Health Cluster partners conducted over 8 million out patient consultations of which 5.1 million were for children under 18 years of age. About 170,000 children received treatment for severe acute malnutrition. Approximately 22,200 trauma patients were received and managed by the hospitals. Some 136,000 normal deliveries were conducted by skilled birth attendants and 32,300 mothers had cesarean sections along with 694,000 antenatal care visits and 249,000 postnatal care visits.
Since the escalation of violent conflict in March 2015, the economy has deteriorated sharply the estimated contraction amounts to approximately 50 percent cumulatively. The decline in GDP growth is bottoming out in 2018 with an estimated reduction of 2.6 percent compared to 5.9 percent in 2017. Conflict related adverse economic impacts and distortions show equally negative impact for the supply response and demand side, the latter being much driven by reduced household incomes. Employment opportunities have significantly diminished.