Description of the disaster
From 26 March 2015, an escalation in fighting between opposition groups in Yemen caused the displacement of thousands of people into neighbouring countries, including Djibouti, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Oman and Saudi Arabia. As of 19 August 2015, 1,789,779 persons in Yemen had been affected, of which 1,439,118 persons have been internally displaced and 100,661 have left to seek refuge elsewhere (UNHCR). The situation in Yemen remains dire with 80 per cent of the population requiring humanitarian aid (approx. 21 million people) and there is limited to no access to clean drinking water, health care, sanitation facilities, or fuel. With no open passage to bring goods into Yemen, market prices are increasing which increases difficulties for the Yemen population. Several negotiations for ceasefires have been issued since the start of the crisis but each side has broken them within the first 24 hours. Wide ranges of nationalities have been affected by this crisis (American, Chinese, Djiboutian, Kenyan, Indian, Somalian, Tanzania and Yemen nationals). Djibouti continues to receive the most number of persons as one of the few neighbouring countries which has opened its borders to those fleeing Yemen.
On 29 May 2015, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) released CHF 66,180 from the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Djibouti Red Crescent (DRCS) respond to the needs of the 2,000 refugees/returnees, for a period of three months, specifically in the areas of first aid, water, sanitation and hygiene promotion services. The DREF operation intended to meet the survival and immediate needs of the targeted population through the provision of essential health, water, sanitation hygiene promotion services, targeting a total of 2,000 arrivals at Djibouti port and Al-Rahma and Omnisport Stadium sites in Obock. Following the outcome of a detailed assessment which was carried out at the beginning of the DREF operation, a revision of the Emergency Plan of Action operation update Djibouti: Population Movement Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA), request for an additional allocation (CHF 94,449) and extension of timeframe (to five months) was submitted and approved in June 2015, including the following changes:
Cancellation of activities: procurement of water testing kits, installation of an emergency first aid point at Djibouti port, and provision of emergency first aid services to arrivals
Revised activities, including the solid waste management activities, the number of volunteers to receive a refresher training in hygiene promotion, the quantity of NFIs to be procured, location of the assistance given to the refugees following a relocation of the refugees by the government from Al-Rahma and Omnisport Stadium sites to Markasi camp, etc. The quantity and type of staff required for the implementation of the final activities was also revised
Additional activities, mainly in terms of coordination and communication