Highlights
• About 14.1 million people in Yemen are facing food insecurity. Life-saving assistance is urgently required to meet immediate food and nutrition needs.
• The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) continues to grow. Over 2.8 million people have fled from their homes due to ongoing conflict. Nearly 765,000 people have so far returned to their homes but are facing harsh living conditions due to loss of livelihoods and damage or destruction of former shelters.
• UNICEF supports the Ministry of Education to administer 9th and 12th grade National Exams. Over 48,000 students attended in the exams in June. About 586,000 students are expected to take their exams in July.
• UNICEF and partners carried out a Vulnerable Communities Mapping Survey (VCMS) in Taiz in June. Nearly 5,600 vulnerable households were assessed and will be targeted for UNICEF’s cash assistance programme.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
The humanitarian crisis in Yemen continues to be an “invisible crisis”, as expressed by the Humanitarian Coordinator, regretting the lack of international concern given to the country.
Two reports, Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and Task Force on Population Movement (TFPM) – Protection Cluster Yemen issued in June 2016 warn that the humanitarian needs are likely to increase if current conditions persist. The latest IPC analysis states that over half the country's population –in 19 out of 22 governorates - is living in "crisis" or "emergency" levels of food insecurity. This reflects a 15 per cent increase since June 2015. Major drivers of food insecurity include fuel shortages and import restrictions. Under these circumstances, food security and nutrition life-saving assistance are critical.
According to a new report from the TFPM, over 2.8 million people have been displaced and require some kind of humanitarian assistance. Of this total, it is estimated that nearly 765,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned to their places of origin, and are also in need of humanitarian assistance and basic services.
By the end of June, UN-mediated peace talks were adjourned and reconvened in Kuwait on 15 July. On 25 June, the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon held a meeting with the two Yemeni delegations in Kuwait. The UN Secretary General urged the delegations to keep working towards a comprehensive agreement and called for the release of all prisoners, including political detainees, journalists, civil society activists and others, as a goodwill gesture.
Hostilities occurred during the reporting period in several locations in Aden, Abyan, Lahj, Al Dhale’e, Taiz, Marib, Hodeidah, Hajjah, Al Bayda, Sana’a and Al Jawf governorate and border areas, which resulted in several civilian casualties and causing delays and restrictions to humanitarian operations in some cases. A field mission to Aden facilitated by WFP took place from 5-9 June with participation of the Deputy Representative.