nlp-thedeep/humsetbias huggingface dataset:
Any disruption or attack on the port which results in the cessation of imports means cutting off the lifeline not just for the people of Hudaydah, but also for a country with 8.4 million people already on the verge of starvation.22 This is unjustifiable and could constitute a war crime.
Civilians can still move in some parts of the city. Movement in the downtown neighbourhoods is possible, with a few shops and restaurants still open, but the southern and eastern neighbourhoods lie empty and abandoned. With shops, bakeries and restaurants remaining closed,23 this is limiting the availability of supplies in the market.
Sana'a Hub: The Shelter/NFI/CCCM Cluster reports that 294 families  ( approximately 2,000 people )  who were recently displaced from Al Jawf Governorate to Harf Sufyan District in Amran Governorate will receive non food items and emergency shelter kits as emergency assistance. In Al Bayda Governorate, fighting was reported in Nati' and Al Qurayshiyah districts. An assessment by a local NGO of 224 recently displaced households found IDPs living in open areas in urgent need of clean drinking water and latrines, shelter, food and education. The district health unit in Nati', which was damaged in recent fighting, needs to be rehabilitated.
According to the Food Security and Agriculture Cluster, part of the UN coordination system, there is a shortage of basic commodities including wheat flour, vegetable oil and cooking gas in markets. As of 24 June, where available, prices of wheat and vegetable oil have increased by about 30 percent and that of cooking gas by 52 percent.
Ibb Hub: Clashes have again erupted in Taizz City between government forces and armed groups, forcing several markets to close. Clashes were also reported in Maqbanah district, and north and east of Taizz City. Humanitarian partners fear that clashes could potentially displace up to 22,000 families. During the reporting period, a food distribution programme for 28,000 families was suspended following the killing of an ICRC worker on 21 April in the outskirts of Taizz City. Other humanitarian agencies continue to respond to various needs in Taizz and Ibb governorates. On 2 May, two trucks carrying nutrition supplies that were held in Al Hoban, At Ta'iziyah district, on 26 April, were released.
Despite attempts from the United Nations, including deliberations by Security Council members, the Yemeni government forces backed by a Saudi Led Coalition  ( SLC )  launched an assault on 13 June to recapture the strategic Red Sea port city of Hudaydah. As a result of severe airstrikes and ground fighting in Hudaydah city and surrounding areas, displaced families have been feeling Al Hudaydah to Sana'a, Hajja, Dhamar and others south to Al Khawkha and Hays where they have received assistance by UNHCR. The international community have warned about the grave consequences on the people of Hudaydah and Yemen as a whole, should a full scale offensive materialise.
Similar price hikes have also been reported by Oxfam sources on the ground, including a 350 percent rise in the price of a sack of rice  ( see Table 1 ) . People with some cash are panic buying, purchasing goods in large quantities to stockpile. Money exchange shops where people can access cash from remittances have closed. The limited access to cash and reported price rises are a threat to people's food security.
Traders are complaining that retailers are hiking up prices to make a profit, and this in turn is pushing up prices for civilians. After three years of war most Yemenis struggle to afford basic amenities even under normal circumstances. These extra price hikes associated with the military escalation in Hudaydah are likely to push prices far beyond the reach of many vulnerable Yemenis.
The UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism  ( UNVIM )  reports that in April 2018 monthly commercial imports of food and fuel into Yemen declined by 22 per cent and 12 per cent respectively. The total food imports for April were only about a half of the monthly national requirements  ( 350,000MT ) , while fuel imports were 27 per cent of the monthly national requirements  ( 544,000 MT ) . For the fifth consecutive month, no containerized cargo was imported into the country.
UNHCR is working closely with humanitarian partners to deliver life saving assistance to displaced families at transit sites, schools and areas of displacement in Hudaydah city and in other governorates.
UNHCR, through partners, has verified some 6,613 families who have had to flee their homes. Furthermore, UNHCR partners Jeel Al Bena and JAAHD have provided CRIs and emergency shelter assistance to over 3,500 displaced families in Hudaydah city. Families are also being assessed for cash assistance.
Ibb Hub: During the reporting period humanitarian partners have reported access challenges as they tried to reach conflict affected districts in Taizz, amid intensified fighting in the western coastal districts particularly Mawzaá and Maqbanah. One humanitarian organisation suspended activities inside Taizz City on 8 May, citing security concerns. Other partners are continuing their operations including WHO which delivered cancer drugs to Taizz and Ibb governorates, as well as cholera supplies to treatment centres and rehydration corners. The agency also distributed diphtheria vaccines and supplies to the two governorates. A WASH assessment conducted by a humanitarian partner in Al Mukha and Dhubab districts in Taizz identifies the need for water trucking and installation of emergency water distribution systems.
Aden Hub: The flow of IDPs from Al Hudaydah and Taizz to the south continues, with the DTM/IOM recording another 320 HH arrivals last week. The total number of IDPs that has fled towards areas covered by the Aden hub is now over 15,600 households. Movements of families from Al Bayda, the site of recent fighting, have also been reported. IDPs come from the five coastal districts south of the frontline in Taizz and Al Hudaydah  ( Al Mukha, Dhubab, Mawza, Hays and Al Khawkhah ) . The humanitarian community has reviewed the status of the response plan along the western coast in coordination with the hubs in Hudaydah and Ibb, including the potential need for evacuation of civilians from active military areas, as well as the size and direction of renewed IDP movement. During the reporting period, clashes were also reported in Lahj Governorate.
Al Hudaydah Hub: Amidst continued clashes, humanitarian partners in Al Hudaydah have reviewed the Hub's contingency plan given possible new displacement and expansion of hostilities. Despite the difficult operating environment, partners continue to assist people in need. In April, 16,420 children received psychological and social support in Hajjah, Raymah and Mahwit governorates. Local partners supported by UNICEF and UNFPA conducted awareness sessions for 982 people and provided legal support for five cases of gender based violence in Al Hudaydah. ACF provided 591 displaced families in Al Garrahi District with cash assistance.
In April 2016, the Logistics Cluster facilitated three airlifts from Djibouti to Sana'a. The first consisted of two rotations carrying 37.2 MT/139 m3 on behalf of WHO and other partners, the second consist ed of three rotations carrying 47.5 MT/247 m3; and the third airlift carried 13 MT/69 m3 on behalf of partners. During the month of April, the VOS Apollo carried 65 passengers from 16 organisations between Dji bouti and Aden, as well as 180 MT/1,211 m3 of cargo from Djibouti to Aden for several humanitarian organisations. The VOS Theia carried 74 MT/610 m3 of relief items from Djibouti to Hudaydah on two voyages. The Logistics Cluster also facilitated the overland transport of 824 MT/3,851 m3 of relief items, and the distribution of 81,874,486 litres of diesel and 33,812 litres of petrol to 20 organisations.
To support the humanitarian response in Yemen, UNHCR in Aden facilitated a number of high level UN missions during the month of June. As lead of the UN Hub in Aden, the Agency facilitated Aden missions of the Panel of Experts and the Under Secretary General for Safety and Security, in addition to the UN Special Envoy's mission meet President Hadi in Aden.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that April 2018 was the deadliest month for civilians in Yemen so far this year, with at least 236 civilians killed and 238 injured in conflict – more than double the 180 civilian casualties documented in March. A heavy toll was also documented in the first week of May, with 63 civilian casualties including six deaths and 57 people injured by airstrikes and indiscriminate shelling by parties to ongoing conflict. On 12 May, media reported 115 people killed in two days of armed clashes west of Taizz.
Yemen is the world's largest humanitarian crisis. Some 22.2 million people   75 per cent of the population   are in need of humanitarian assistance. 17.8 million people are food insecure and 8.4 million people do not know how they will obtain their next meal. Conflict, protracted displacement, disease and deprivation continue to inflict suffering upon the country's population. Disruption to commercial imports, inflation, lack of salary payment to civil servants and rising prices of basic commodities are further exacerbating people's vulnerability. Despite a difficult operating environment some 114 international and national partners are actively coordinating to assist people with the most acute needs in priority districts across Yemen's 22 governorates. Together they have assisted over 7.5 million people monthly with some form of humanitarian assistance.
FSAC partners reached an average of 7.3 million people with monthly emergency food assistance  ( relief food, cash transfers, & voucher transfers )  in January and February. Additionally, by the end of February, a cumulative total of 245,900 individuals had received livelihoods assistance  ( emergency agricultural, livestock & fisheries inputs provided to 203,000 people; and longer term livelihoods support to 42,900 individuals ) .
The collapse of the health system due to lack of fuel to run water, sanitation, and health services; destruction and damage to health facilities; disruption of commercial imports, including drugs and non payment of health worker salaries are creating the major gaps that health partners are trying to cover. Access to life saving minimum service package at primary and secondary health care facilities and sustained delivery of medicines and medical supplies are main priority needs. Additional needs include support for vaccination programs as well as preventive measures to avert the resurgence of outbreaks.
While the cholera outbreak is decreasing it has not disappeared. In February 2018, 171 districts continued to report suspected cases. A large scale cholera response continues to be required to curb the outbreak and prevent its resurgence. Public water and sanitation systems struggle to remain functional due to lack of maintenance and damage caused by conflict, the increase in the price of fuel is negatively impacting households' access to clean water. At the beginning of the year, prices doubled while in some locations they increased six fold.
( Reuters )      Britain, the United States and France want the United Nations Security Council to condemn Iran for failing to stop its ballistic missiles from falling into the hands of Yemen's Houthi group and commit to take action over the sanctions violations, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters on Saturday.
Widespread violations of IHL by parties to the conflict pose an ongoing threat to the life and safety of civilians, resulting in loss of life, displacement and destruction of infrastructure. The protracted nature of the conflict is particularly affecting women, children and persons with specific needs whose vulnerability is further exacerbated and resort to negative coping mechanisms as means of survival. As grave violations of children's rights continue to occur, support for affected children is critical, as is mine risk education. GBV incidents have significantly risen with requiring multi sectoral responses.
Despite gaps in funding and serious operational constraints to protection, as of February 2018 Protection Cluster partners have reached over 400,000 people overall with life saving protection services such as psychosocial support, legal assistance and protection cash, as well as clinical care for survivors and safe spaces for women, men, girls and boys. Almost 23,500 persons have been reached through monitoring of protection and IHL/IHRL, while 276,269 children and community members have received information to protect against mines and UXOs. Community based responses continue to be strengthened through 1,232 community based protection network volunteers, community protection initiatives as well as community centers serving the needs of IDPs and conflict affected populations.
Conflict continues between Yemeni forces backed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  ( KSA )  led Coalition and Al Houthi opposition forces in Al Hudaydah Governorate, although major military operations near Al Hudaydah city diminished in late June. Insecurity displaced more than 121,000 people between June 1 and July 4, according to the UN.
An estimated 7.5 million people need nutrition assistance, with 2.9 million people who will require treatment for acute malnutrition in 2018, including 1.8 million children under the age of five and 1.1 million pregnant and lactating women  ( PLW ) . 2.3 million of PLW and caretakers of children 0 23 months will require infant and young child feeding counselling. Main challenges faced by nutrition partners include bureaucratic and administrative impediments to deliver assistance, non payment of salaries for the health workers, access constraints and limited number of community health workers in the country
During the reported period, 17,975 children with Severe Acute Malnutrition  ( SAM ) , 28,845 children with Moderate Acute Malnutrition  ( MAM )  and 19,326 PLW with acute malnutrition were admitted for treatment. In addition, 33,690 children received micronutrient powders, and 36,027 women receiving IYCF counselling.
Disruption to the payments of salaries to teachers in 13 governorates has greatly hindered the commencement of school year in these governorates and continues to jeopardise the provision of education. Displacement is also affecting education system as teachers and students are displaced and schools are often used by IDPs as shelter. There is an urgent need to support schools, in districts with high severity of need, with provision of desks and essential learning supplies and teacher training on psychosocial support.
During January and February, 10 affected schools have been repaired in Al Bayda governorate including rehabilitation of WASH facilities helping 4,986 students to have better schooling environment. Cluster partners supported in various activities reaching around 105,300 students by providing emergency related training for their teachers, 79,748 with provision of learning supplies, provision of school food and hygiene kits to 38,509 students and other 1,024 through provision of alternative learning classrooms
Humanitarians actors require access to reliable Internet and security telecommunications services. Challenges include restrictions on importing ICT equipment, a volatile security situation and difficulties in obtaining visas for staff deployments.
The Logistics Cluster supports an efficient logistics response through coordination and information management. The Logistics Cluster also facilitates access to common services for humanitarian organisations, which include: cargo transport from Djibouti to Sana'a by air, and to Aden and Al Hudaydah by sea; overland cargo transport and cargo storage across Yemen; fuel distribution in Sana'a, Al Hudaydah and Aden; sea passenger transport from Djibouti to Aden and Al Hudaydah. In addition, UNHAS connects Amman to Sana'a, and Djibouti to both Sana'a and Aden.
A tropical cyclone formed in the Gulf of Aden between Yemen and northern Somalia on 16 May 2018. The cyclone system caused heavy rains along the coast of Puntland on 17 May. Flash flooding was reported in the Bari region, which were not limited to seasonal riverbeds. The road linking Bossaso and points south has reportedly been affected. There are also reports of some fishing boats having been washed away by waves off the coast of Sanaag region, which along with Sool are disputed between Somaliland and Puntland. The two authorities have been engaged in an armed standoff in Sool that had displaced almost 10,000 people prior to the storms arrival, further complicating an already complex humanitarian picture. By 18 May, the cyclone had gained strength, reaching tropical storm wind levels and assigned the name Tropical Cyclone Sagar. Heavy rains are projected for the escarpment and plateau of Somaliland.
Authorities and humanitarians are closely monitoring the situation as it unfolds in Puntland and Somaliland. In Puntland State, heavy rainfall was observed in the northern region of Bari, with Bareeda, Caluula, Murcanyo, Gumbax, and some parts of Xaabo being amongst the worst affected areas. Around 35 houses and 15 small boats were destroyed, while 56 camels, nearly 1,260 goats and sheep and 19 donkeys died. In the ancient coastal town of Lasqoray, houses in Habarshiro and Ceel Buh were also affected by flash flooding. Huge ocean waves were experienced in coastal areas, with most of the affected people displaced or moved to higher ground. In Bossaso, an estimated 220 improvised shelters belonging to internally displaced people in Tawakal, were washed away. Some 30 boats were also destroyed in Caluula and another 20 small boats were destroyed at the Bossaso Seaport. Two deaths and one injury were reported at Labo Wanlay, a bridge situated approximately 40km south of Bossaso. In Iskushuban, a number of farms and water facilities were damaged and washed away by the heavy rainfall. Qardo and others towns were reportedly inundated by flash flooding.
Heavy rains and flooding were reported along the coastal areas of the Gulf of Aden during the reporting period, as Cyclone Sagar moved towards Somalia and Djibouti. According to the General Authority for Civil Aviation and Meteorology of Yemen, most areas along the southern coast line were largely unaffected, except for some localized flooding which damaged infrastructure.
Ibb Hub: During the reporting period, heavy rains in Ma'afer District, Taizz Governorate, damaged about 580 tents at an IDP hosting site, according to the Shelter/ NFI/CCCM Cluster. In Mawza District, local authorities have appealed to the humanitarian community to assist about 300 displaced families. Humanitarian clusters and partners are following up on the request.
The Socotra Governorate emergency room has reported a total of 19 persons as missing; destruction of property has displaced families, with at least 500 families seeking refuge in schools and hotels in the capital, Hadibo. Roads to both the eastern and western side of Socotra remain cut off. Hadibo airport is reported to have reopened and some flights may land on 26 May. Preliminary information from one NGO on the ground indicates key emergency needs to be food, shelter/non food items, medicines and hygiene kits.
Humanitarian partners in Aden and Al Hudaydah hubs have ramped up the delivery of assistance to accessible areas and are refining contingency plans in anticipation that humanitarian needs will increase as the conflict expands across the west coast. In Al Khawkhah and Hays Districts, needs have become increasingly stabilized by the growing engagement of Aden based responders. During the reporting period, food, NFI, WASH, and cash assistance has been delivered to displaced families sheltering in Jabal Ra's, Zabid and Bait Al Faqiah districts, as well as in Al Hudaydah City. Despite shifting frontlines and intensified airstrikes, more resources and capacity are being mobilized to sustain the ongoing humanitarian response. Negotiations to access people in need, regardless of where they are, are continuing from all concerned hubs. This includes facilitating and negotiating humanitarian access to populations caught behind frontlines or trapped by crossfire.
As far as the situation in Taizz Governorate is concerned, armed clashes have reportedly intensified in the eastern parts of Taizz City and in the western front in Maqbanah and Al Ma'afir Districts. The Ibb Health Sub Cluster is supporting three frontline hospitals  ( Al Barh and Hajdah Hospitals in Maqbanah District and Aoon Hospital in Sharaáb Al Salam District )  with medical supplies to prepare for the possible casualties from areas affected by violence. The shift in frontlines in western Taizz has, however, opened humanitarian access to Al Wazi'iah and Mawza Districts from the cities of Al Turba and Aden.
The director of the health and nutrition program in the institution, Dr. Abdul Wahab Zainah, said that 89,789 people benefited from the health services provided by the medical teams in 12 health facilities in the departments of Bani Matar, Kharf, Siani and Matmon, since the launch of the project activities o in August 2017.
Humanitarians are still reliant on access to reliable Internet and security telecommunications services in order to do their work effectively. Challenges include restrictions on importing ICT equipment, a volatile security situation and difficulties in obtaining visas for staff deployments.
An estimated 7.5 million people need nutrition assistance, with 2.9 million people who will require treatment for acute malnutrition, including 1.8 million children under the age of five and 1.1 million pregnant and lactating women  ( PLW ) . 2.3 million of PLW and caretakers of children 0 23 months will require infant and young child feeding counselling. Main challenges faced by nutrition partners include bureaucratic and administrative impediments to deliver assistance, non payment of salaries for the health workers, access constraints and limited number of community health workers in the country.
A large number of Internally Displaced Persons  ( IDPs )  live in severely deprived conditions, including unfinished buildings, substandard shelters, schools, public facilities or in the open. The upsurge of conflict in Yemen western coast since the beginning of the year has generated a new wave of displacement. Enhanced Emergency Shelter Kits  ( EESK )  and Non Food Items for those newly displaced especially from Al Hudaydah and Taizz is required. Lack of access due to security constraints continue to hamper the response.
Yemen is the world's largest humanitarian crisis. Some 22.2 million people   75 per cent of the population   are in need of humanitarian assistance. 17.8 million people are food insecure and 8.4 million people do not know how they will obtain their next meal. Conflict, protracted displacement, disease and deprivation continue to inflict suffering upon the country's population. Disruption to commercial imports, inflation, lack of salary payment to civil servants and rising prices of basic commodities are further exacerbating people's vulnerability. Despite a difficult operating environment some 156 international and national partners in January through April were actively coordinating to assist people with the most acute needs in priority districts across Yemen's 22 governorates. Together they have assisted over 7.4 million people monthly with some form of humanitarian assistance.
There are dire health needs due to disrupted health systems and inadequate financial and human resources. There is also a need to ensure access by the people in need to primary and secondary health care by supporting availability of medicines , medical supplies and operations as well as health staff incentives. In addition, there is a need to support surveillance systems, and improve capacities to prevent, detect and control epidemic prone diseases and outbreaks. Health staff needs training and refreshers to build their capacities.
Eight million people need emergency income to meet critical food needs and access to services. Landmines and explosive remnants of war  ( ERW )  continue to pose threat to lives and prevent the resumption of economic activities, movements of populations and goods as well as access to basic services and infrastructure.
During March and April, 12 affected schools were repaired in Al Hudaydah, Taizz and Lahj governorates including rehabilitation of WASH facilities helping 4,923 students to have better schooling environment. Additionally latrines have been rehabilitatedin 26 schools in Aden, Amran, Ibb and Lahj benefitting 17,891 students. Cluster partners supported various activities reaching around 193,000 students with emergency related training for their teachers, 66,939 with provision of learning supplies, provision of school food to 59,618 students and 10,411 through provision of alternative learning classrooms.
The humanitarian community faces a number of critical logistics challenges hampering the delivery of relief items in and across the country, including damaged road infrastructure; access disruptions to many parts of the country for both staff and cargo; congestion at main entry points; unreliable and unpredictable access to fuel; heavy bureaucracy; limited international shipping options, both by sea and air.
Despite gaps in funding and serious operational constraints to protection, as of April 2018 Protection Cluster partners have reached over 900,000 people overall with life saving protection services such as psychosocial support, legal assistance and protection cash, as well as clinical care for survivors and safe spaces for women, men, girls and boys. Over 80,000 persons have been reached through monitoring of protection and IHL/IHRL, while 642,317 children and community members have received information to protect against mines and UXOs. Community based responses continue to be strengthened through 4,708 community based protection network volunteers, community protection initiatives as well as community centers serving the needs of IDPs and conflict affected populations.
An estimated 17.8 million people  ( six out of every ten Yemenis )  are food insecure, with 8.4 million severely food insecure, requiring urgent humanitarian assistance to stay alive. Needs are driven by the disruptions of commercial imports, mass displacement, loss of income and livelihoods opportunities, fuel scarcity, high commodity prices and the collapse of public services including the payment of salaries for civil servants.
The response for migrants has included identifying vulnerabilities and providing immediate assistance to unaccompanied minors, Gender Based Violence  ( GBV )  cases, victims of human rights violations and Humanitarian Voluntary Return. The response for refugees also includes distribution of food, water, NFIs, shelter, health, protection and support for spontaneous returns.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan and USAID Administrator Mark Green discussed the humanitarian impact of the fighting in and around Al Hudaydah city with non governmental organization  ( NGO )  representatives on June 22. The representatives emphasized that unhindered commercial and humanitarian imports through Al Hudaydah Port were crucial to preventing the further deterioration of humanitarian conditions in Yemen.
Insecurity continues in other areas of Yemen as well. An airstrike in Sa'dah Governorate hit a wedding party, killing 11 civilians in early July, the UN reports. Coalition airstrikes in Sana'a Governorate injured at least seven civilians and damaged several houses, including a Norwegian Refugee Council  ( NRC )  guesthouse, on June 5. NRC issued a June 7 statement calling on the Coalition to investigate and provide an accounting of the attack and appealing for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Populations living in areas highly dependent on Red Sea imports and areas experiencing conflict or an influx of internally displaced persons  ( IDPs )  such as parts of Hajjah, Sa'dah, and Ta'izz governorates are most at risk. Areas with access to imports through Aden Port also face a risk of Famine due to already severe levels of acute food insecurity and the increased competition for food commodities that would likely result from diminished imports through Red Sea ports.
Although humanitarian and commercial actors imported more than 50 percent of Yemen's annual requirement of 4.3 million MT of food commodities from January–May 2018, elevated prices and cooking fuel scarcity continue to constrain the ability of vulnerable Yemenis to meet basic needs. The UN Food and Agricultural Organization  ( FAO )  also reports that conflict related import restrictions are disrupting trade flows and worsening food insecurity amongst vulnerable Yemenis.
Food Security and Agriculture Cluster5 organizations, including USAID partners, reached 7.5 million people nearly 90 percent of the 8.4 million people targeted with emergency in kind, cash, and voucher food assistance across 20 governorates in May. In addition, Cluster partners provided emergency livelihoods assistance such as agricultural, fisheries, and livestock inputs to approximately 60,800 people across nine governorates during the same period.
During the same period, USAID/OFDA partner WHO was managing five emergency mobile teams, six primary health teams, and six surgical teams, and providing approximately 576,800 liters of fuel and more than 10 million liters of water to health facilities across the governorate. WHO is also staffing five stabilization centers and providing water, sanitation, and hygiene  ( WASH )  support to city hospitals with assistance from USAID/OFDA.
As the war further escalated and intensified within and around the port city of Al Hudaydah, availability and access dimensions of food security have deteriorated in many parts of Yemen, particularly in the conflict areas of Hudaydah Governorate. Markets in conflict villages were either not fully functional or had completely stopped working. Active conflicts and airstrikes also intensified in several frontlines in Sa'ada, Taizz, Al Jawf, Hajja, Mareb, and Sana'a governorates. The ongoing widespread war has not only resulted in massive displacements, disruption of livelihoods and destruction of basic infrastructure, but also pushed the economy and essential social services  ( health, WASH and education )  to the state of collapsing.
NEW YORK, 24th September, 2018  ( WAM )     The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has signed a cooperation agreement with the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, to support the humanitarian response plan in Yemen, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo, in addition to support ICRC's budget, totaling AED40.4 million  ( US$11 million ) .
An estimated 3 million people in Yemen need shelter assistance. 90 per cent of the IDPs have been displaced for more than two years. 77 per cent of the IDPs are living with relatives or are renting houses while the remaining caseload live in collective centers or spontaneous settlements.
Yemen's currency is now in freefall, making food unaffordable for many. “The new development here is that the economic crisis has left many people in hunger, and cholera hits malnourished children easily,' she says, adding that pregnant women are also vulnerable to the disease.
Yemen's economy has been collapsing over more than three and a half years of war, and since September the currency has been in a nose dive, leading to rising prices of just about everything, including food and fuel.
Worsening economic crisis across Yemen is propelling food prices upward while the value of the Yemeni riyal plummets. The cost of a minimum food basket comprised of wheat flour, dry beans, oil, sugar and salt for seven people has increased by 25 per cent in just three weeks, and 142 per cent since the beginning of the war. Even very slight increases in food costs could now tip hundreds of thousands of severely food insecure Yemenis into famine.
A sharp decline in the value of the Yemeni Rial to 655YER/ US$ from 497YER/US$ in July, has resulted in another hike in commodity prices and further devaluations are reported daily. Shortages of fuel and cooking gas were reported in local markets, with petrol selling at the black market price of 750YER/litre in Al Hudaydah City. A further decline in the currency will increase inflation, weaken livelihood prospects and push more Yemenis towards destitution and further food insecurity.
People in Hodeidah reported an exchange rate of YER 700 to the dollar this week, the lowest rate to date. As economic collapse interacts with shortfalls on basic commodities, inflation is leaving more and more Yemenis with no means by which to pay for food, transport or medicine. A lack of affordable food and water risks tipping millions into famine.
More than half a million people who have fled fighting in Yemen are facing a double threat of famine and near freezing temperatures Oxfam said today, as it called on the warring parties to respect the ceasefire agreed in Sweden last week.
Winter temperatures are likely to drop to below freezing in highland areas of Yemen and rain brought in by southwest winds can fall in heavy torrents, leading to flooding. Many of the 530,000 displaced people living in these areas are in makeshift shelters with no insulation or weatherproofing.
Salaries of public sector workers in the north of the country have not been paid for almost two years, leaving approximately 6.9 million people without a main source of income. Around eight million people are thought to have lost their jobs since the beginning of the conflict because of the closure of private businesses.
Oxfam is providing aid, including clean water and cash to buy basic food supplies, to people forced to flee their homes.
Amid a three and a half year old conflict in their country, Yemenis are starving to death, driven not by lack of food but by policies by parties to the conflict that have led to an economic collapse, says the global organization Mercy Corps.
The Hodeida ceasefire is a first step toward implementing an agreement reached at UN led talks between Yemen's internationally recognised government and Huthi rebels in Sweden on 13 December to demilitarise Hodeida city and port, and the wider Red Sea trade corridor. Early reports of ceasefire violations are troubling but not unexpected for a process that likely will encounter more than a few bumps in the road.
It's not just bombs, bullets and artillery shells that threaten Yemen's children. This is a conflict that also kills by stealth. Economic strangulation is being used by the Saudi led coalition as a weapon of war, targeting jobs,infrastructure, food markets and the provision of basic services. Nobody is there to count the bodies of the victims. But for every child buried beneath the rubble of a building hit by a “smart bomb', there are dozens of children – like Ayesha – threatened by the starvation that has accompanied the economic assault.
The road from Sana'a to the port of Hodeidah, one of Yemen's main arteries, bears the scars of economic warfare. Making the journey last week, I counted three bridges destroyed by Saudi airstrikes. The port itself is a ghost town. Saudi bombs have destroyed the five cranes that once unloaded ships carrying 80% of Yemen's imports, along with grain storage silos. Over 20,000 people have lost their jobs. One of them is Ayesha's father, which is why a family with five children is now living on less than $3  ( £2 )  a day.
Economic collapse has been the catalyst for economic crisis. Jobs, economic infrastructure and basic services have been systematically targeted by acts of war. Coalition airstrikes have targeted warehouses, factories and – critically – transport infrastructure. The economic assault has trapped millions of Yemenis in a vicious spiral of rising food and fuel prices, unemployment and declining wages.
Economic collapse has been compounded by the collapse of the banking system. In 2016, Saudi authoritiestransferredthe central bank from Sana'a to the southern city of Aden, which is controlled by its allies. The move effectively pulled the plug on public financing in northern governates under Houthi control, leaving more than 1.5 million health workers, teachers and water and sanitation workers without pay; and schools, hospitals and other basic services without budgets.
Since the beginning of the current outbreak, 22 out of 23 governorates and 306 out of 333 districts in Yemen have been affected. The trend of weekly reported suspected cholera cases is stable at country level, however there are four governorates  ( Al Hudaydah, Taizz, Al Jawf, and Leij )  continue to report an increase in cases during this reported period. This week, the governorates reporting the highest number of suspected cases are Al Hudaydah  ( 2475 ) , Amran  ( 2194 ) , Dhamar  ( 1824 ) , Amanat Al Asimah  ( 1467 ) , and Sana'a  ( 1389 ) .
There are constant check points and planning even a simple journey takes huge resources to ensure that it is as safe as possible. On a daily basis, our teams can't actually access some of the neediest children simply because we aren't granted permission.
Tropical Cyclone Luban, which weakened to a tropical depression before making landfall on Yemen's southeastern coast on October 14, brought heavy rain, strong winds, and widespread flooding to Al Mahrah's Al Ghaydah, Al Hawf, Huswain, Al Masilah, Qishn, and Sayhut districts, the UN reports. As of October 17, the storm had resulted in at least three deaths, injured 100 people, and significantly affected or displaced more than 3,000 households, including 550 households that have sought shelter in local schools. Relief actors expect the recorded numbers of people affected by the storm to increase as response efforts continue and relief organizations reach areas currently inaccessible due to flooded roads.
The total number of suspected cholera cases from 27 April 2017, when the first outbreak occurred, until 16 September 2018, was 1,192,281 with 2,954 confirmed cases and 2,470 associated deaths. In recent weeks, 222 districts reported suspected cholera cases, and 12 governorates have reported an increase in suspected cases with the steepest increases in Aden  ( up by 67 per cent )  in Amran  ( up by 50 per cent )  and in Ibb  ( up by 46 percent ) . According to WHO, there are 68 Diarrhea Treatment Centres  ( DTC )  and Oral Rehydration Centres operating in 82 high risk districts while 14 districts do not yet have DTCs.
In addition, over half a million people have been displaced from their homes in Hodeidah since June, forced to live in host communities in cramped conditions and with little access to clean water and sanitation. Yemen's rainy season which runs from April to August is further compounding the crisis.
42% of HHs sepnd more than 30 minutes up to 1 hour as an amount of time to go to the main water point, fetch water, and return while 15% take 1 – 2 hours. 29% of these HHs indicated that distance constitutes a problem.
In 2017 Yemen witnessed the worst recorded cholera outbreak since records began with well over one million suspected cases, 600,000 of them children.
In late April 2017, a cholera outbreak that began in October 2016 resurged, necessitating intensive humanitarian response efforts throughout the country, particularly health and WASH interventions. The USG is supporting partners to scale up cholera prevention, preparedness, and response activities.
Yemen has been the poorest country of the Middle East and North Africa region before the current crisis and ranked 168 out of 188 countries  ( 2016 UNDP Human Development Index ) . During 2017, Yemen continued to be besieged by multiple armed conflicts and other situations of violence, with the insecurity escalating in many parts of the country, between the al Houthis and the coalition that supports the government of Yemen. According to the global INFORM index, Yemen is ranked as number five out of 191 countries. Yemen has a hazard and exposure index of 8.1, a vulnerability index of 6.9 and a lack of coping capacity index of 7.9. After nearly two and a half years since the escalation of the conflict, the resilience and the coping capacity of people of Yemen have been remarkable, however exhausted beyond comprehension. Prior to the crisis, almost half of the Yemeni population already lived below the poverty line, with a high rate of unemployment and the basic social services on the verge to collapse. Violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law are reportedly widespread, in addition to a long history of food insecurity, malnutrition, and lack of access to water, sanitation and poor healthcare.
According to the Ministry of Public Health and Population and the World Health Organization, there is a cumulative total of more than 100,000 suspected cholera cases in 2018, with more than 100 associated deaths across the country. Children under five years old represent a third of total suspected cases. The reported number of suspected cases has increased in recent weeks, and the most affected governorates are Lahj, Raymah, Amanat Al Asimah, and Al Hudaydah. According to the UN, as of August 7th, the oral cholera vaccination campaign had reached more than 375,000 people.
The conflict in Yemen escalated in March 2015 when president Hadi was forced by the Houthis to flee the country and the Saudi led coalition  ( including the Gulf Cooperation Council states   with the exception of Oman, Egypt, and Sudan )  intervened on behalf of the internationally recognized government of Yemen against the Houthis who were at the time aligned with Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Since then, the conflict has spread to the majority of the 22 governorates of Yemen. Two and half years since the launch of the coalition and Yemen seems nowhere near peaceful resolution of the conflict. Currently, President Hadi governs Aden  ( declared as temporary capital )  while the bulk of Yemen's northern parts and the capital Sanaa remain under the control of Houthis. During 2017, Yemen was declared the largest humanitarian crisis in the world as 20.7 million people in the country are in need of humanitarian and protection assistance.
Far Al Udayn is one of the furthest districts in Ibb where literacy, poverty, and unemployment rates are very high. The majority of the population live in high mountains, hills and valleys. They depend on causal work for living such as raising cattle and farming which produce red corps only and cannot meet their needs. Its people suffer from difficult economic situations and it is considered as a poor district with weak and non existent infrastructure in many of its villages.
Unprotected rainwater wells are the main sources of water for 26% of households while 25% of HHs depend on Protected Rainwater tanks, while 34% of HHs use surface water  ( Lakes and shallow wells ) . The main water sources are not enough for 41% of the respondents; therefore, 38% of them use another Protected Rainwater tanks while 29.8% use Unprotected Well.
The main water sources are not enough for 41% of the respondents; therefore, 38.3% of them use another protected rainwater tanks while 29.8% use unprotected wells.
 72.5% of HHs do not have enough water in the last 30 days to meet their household needs reduced water for hygiene practices to cope with the lack of water.  51% of HHs use less than 15 liters/person/day, and 47% use 15 35 liters/person/day.
 33% of HHs who have access to latrine and use Flush latrine open  ( unimproved ) . 17% use Pit latrine covered/with slab  ( improved ) , but 17% use Pit latrine open/without slab  ( unimproved ) .  Children, women, and disabled people have less access to latrine.
The poor condition of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Bani Ahmed, Al Ahmol and Al Aqiba sub districts of Ibb governorate, has made people in these areas very vulnerable to diseases prevailing. Acute watery diarrhea is the most prevailing disease, which is a very alarming indicator especially during the current Cholera epidemic in Yemen. Further details revealed that almost half of AWD cases are among children under 5 years old  ( see chart below ) , which strongly contributes to the abnormally low nutritional status of most children in these areas. Malaria also is a very serious disease that spreads by infected mosquitoes, which live on stagnant water and opened water containers as well. This aggressive disease is considered an epidemic in Al Ahmol and Al Aqibah sub districts  ( see chart below ) . Other diseases such as kidney stones and typhoid fever were reported in Al Ahmol and Al Aqiba as well.
32.61% of HHs stated that there is always visible wastewater in the vicinity of their houses.  50.35% of HHS bury garbage or burn it, while 32.63%leave it in public areas and it has not been collected.  29% of HHS do not have soap in their houses.  88% of HHS do not have hand washing facilities
Flash floods inundated several parts of Al Hataresh area in Bani Hushaysh District, Sana'a Governorate on 8 August. Over 100 families, mainly marginalized communities, were affected by the floods. ADRA has delivered NFIs to affected households. Rains are continuing to fall in the region and could lead to further flooding.
Overall, the most pervasive access challenges are administrative in nature. Of the 85 incidents reported across Yemen, 79 per cent involved interference in humanitarian operations or restrictions to humanitarian movements. A total of 190 UN staff were delayed or denied access to people in need due to administrative restrictions.
Large scale conflict in Al Hudaydah has caused increased displacement. New waves of displacement continued to be generated from the frontline governorates such as Sa'ada, Al Jawf and Al Bayda resulting in increased vulnerability of the affected population as the coping mechanisms of the families continue to be eroded. Tropical Cyclones Mekunu and Sagar left behind death and destruction. Heavy rains in various parts of the country resulted in damages to shelters, livelihoods and public infrastructure.
Yemen continues to face significant macroeconomic difficulties. The Central Bank in Aden circulated in June a procedural framework to support the import of five basic commodities  ( rice, wheat, sugar, milk and edible oil )  by using the US$2 billion received from Saudi Arabia in mid of March. On the 13th of August the Central Bank of Yemen in Aden also issued a decision to regulate the exchange of foreign currency after the recent deterioration in the value of the Yemeni rial, further restricting operations for money traders under the Aden government. Authorities have also imposed higher taxes on traders in northern governorates.
On 7 December, the preliminary results of the Integrated Phase Classification  ( IPC )  Food Security Analysis were released, indicating that without humanitarian food assistance over 20 million people in Yemen, representing two thirds of the population, would face severe food insecurity  ( IPC Phase 3+, that is people in crisis and above on the IPC five phase scale ) . Alarmingly, for the first time during the conflict in Yemen IPC Phase 5  ( people in catastrophe )  is observed, meaning that 63,500 people currently in this phase and are barely surviving. However, without large scale food assistance, the number would be 238 000, three times higher. Only one other country in the world   South Sudan   has people suffering catastrophic food insecurity and even then, the number of people at Phase 5, at 47,000, is much smaller. Overall, 17 per cent of the Yemeni population  ( about 5 million people )  are in IPC Phase 4  ( Emergency )  and 36 per cent  ( about 10.8 million people )  are in IPC Phase 3  ( Crisis ) .
Ongoing hostilities remain the main driver of worsening food security, IDPs and those hosting them are the most vulnerable. The people most at risk of starvation are in Hajjah, Al Hudaydah, Sa'ada ad Taizz governorates. The economic crisis and resulting high food prices, disrupted livelihoods and high levels of unemployment also affects those not in conflict areas   the cost of the minimum/survival food basket is 150 per cent higher than before the conflict.
In response to the situation, WFP is scaling up its food aid operation to target 12 million people per month with food and nutrition assistance next year, up 50 per cent from the 8 million targeted every month this year. The 12 million figure represents 10 million people severely food insecure and 2 million displaced people in acute need.