Highlights
• UNICEF doubled efforts to provide immediate solutions to ease recent supply disruptions, including the provision of fuel and water trucking.
• 93 mobile teams provided a package of health and nutrition services to mothers and children mainly in areas with internally displaced popula- tions, reaching over 35,000 children and more than 43,000 pregnant women.
• To alleviate potential consequences of the ongoing violence, including stress and long-term mental health issues, UNICEF provided Psychoso- cial (PSS) to or more than 20,000 children.
• As part of UNICEF’s Back to School programme, 27,000 school bags have been given to affected children, distribution of 237,000 more school bags is underway.
• 34,153 people in Sana’a City have received cash transfers as part UNICEF’s humanitarian cash transfers programme. A further 10,000 households in Taiz are expected to be reached by the end of the year.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
Since March 2015, at least 21.1 million people, including 9.9 million chil- dren, are in need of humanitarian assistance due to the escalation of the conflict in Yemen. Continued air strikes, shelling and ground fighting have resulted in the destruction and damage of civilian infrastructure and a col- lapse of public services, particularly national health, water and sanitation services.
Yemen’s health system remains on the verge of collapse with over 15 million people currently lacking access to basic health services.
In addition to the consequences of the ongoing conflict, several regions are still recovering from the two cyclones that made landfall in November. Ac- cording to reports from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), it is estimated that by the end of November, 3,322 families remain displaced in Hadramaut, Shabwah and Socotra after being hit by the two cyclones.
As a result of positive developments in recent weeks, food imports have gone up by 24% compared to last month; however, commercial supplies of food, fuel and medicines are still insufficient to meet the demand. It is estimated that only 46 per cent of fuel imports needs are being met. The continued lack of basic goods such as water, electricity and medicine is aggravating already poor living conditions. The sharp increase in prices of food coupled with loss of jobs and lack of work opportunities continues to increase poverty and malnutrition among the most vulnerable. To mitigate the grave humanitarian situation, UNICEF continues to provide support across different sectors, including, but not limited to, health and nutrition, WASH, education, and child protection.