United Nations in Yemen

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Yemen:

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Publication

25 January 2022

United Nations Yemen Common Country Analysis November 2021

This Common Country Analysis (CCA) is the United Nations (UN) system’s independent, impartial, and collective assessment and analysis of the Republic of Yemen. It examines progress, gaps, opportunities, and bottlenecks vis-à-vis the country’s commitments to achieving the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN norms and standards, and the principles of the UN Charter.
Yemen was behind achieving the SDGs even prior to the escalation of armed conflict in 2015. The armed conflict has therefore not just interrupted Yemen’s development trajectory; it has reversed development gains made in key sectors up to 2014, with Yemen maintaining its status as the poorest country in the Middle East. Progress toward the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs continue to be delayed due to the on-going conflict, absence of coordinated national leadership, and lack of strategic planning. With control of the country divided between competing and warring parties, humanitarian, development, and peace efforts face significant challenges. The 2021 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan indicates that the country faces severe food insecurity bordering on famine. About 24 million Yemenis – 80 percent of the total population – need humanitarian assistance; 14.4 million Yemenis are in acute need. Over 2.25 million children under five years and more than a million pregnant and lactating women and girls are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2021. Between 5 and 15 percent of pregnant women and girls are facing obstetric complications but lack access to emergency obstetric and new-born care services. Around 16.2 million people were expected to be hungry in 2020. Five million people face emergency conditions, and nearly 50,000 are already experiencing catastrophic conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased vulnerabilities in Yemen, however whilst there is a continual need for resilience and management of the pandemic’s risks, there are opportunities for further progress through cooperation with authorities in Yemen. The opportunities around which are explored through this CCA.
The analysis within the CCA comprises seven elements covering politics and institutions; the economic contexts; environment and climate change; social and multidimensional risks; Leave No One Behind and social exclusion; compliance with international human rights and UN norms and standards; and the development, humanitarian, and peace linkages. The CCA concludes with a summary of the challenges, gaps, and opportunities for progress.

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Publication

24 November 2021

Assessing the impact of war in Yemen: Pathways for recovery

UNDP Yemen has once again partnered with the Frederick S. Pardee Center for International Futures. The report, Assessing the Impact of War in Yemen: Pathways for Recovery, continues to apply integrated modeling techniques to better understand the dynamics of the conflict and its impact on development in Yemen. Released in November 2021, this report explores postconflict recovery and finds that war has continued to devastate the country; the conflict’s death toll has already grown 60 per cent since 2019. However, if a sustainable and implementable peace deal can be reached, there is still hope for a brighter future in Yemen. Seven different recovery scenarios were modeled to better understand prospects and priorities for recovery and reconstruction in Yemen. The analysis identified key leverage points and recommendations for a successful recovery – including empowering women, making investments in agriculture, and leveraging the private sector. Moreover, by combining these, it is possible to save hundreds of thousands of additional lives and put Yemen on a path not only to catch up with – but to surpass – its pre-war SDG trajectory by 2050. Through achieving a peace deal, pursuing an integrated recovery strategy, and leveraging key transformative opportunities, it is indeed possible for Yemen to make up for lost time and offer better opportunities to the next generation. PREVIOUS REPORTS In April 2019, the first of three reports, Assessing the Impact of War on Development in Yemen, commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Yemen, revealed that the war had already set back development by more than two decades and caused more deaths from indirect causes such as hunger and disease than deaths from conflict-related violence. The second report, Assessing the Impact of War in Yemen on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), released in September 2019, predicted that if conflict persists past 2019, Yemen will have the greatest depth of poverty, second poorest imbalance in gender development, lowest caloric intake per capita, second greatest reduction in economic activity relative to 2014, and second greatest income inequality of any country in the world.

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Story

03 October 2021

Millions in Yemen ‘a step away from starvation’

The crisis in Yemen, now in its seventh year of war, continues unabated, with thousands of people displaced and millions “a step away from starvation”, the UN Humanitarian Relief Coordinator said on Wednesday during a high-level side event on the margins of the 76th General Assembly. “The country’s economy has reached new depths of collapse, and a third wave of the pandemic is threatening to crash the country’s already fragile health-care system”, Humanitarian Affairs chief Martin Griffiths told world leaders at the meeting: Yemen: Responding to the crises within the world's largest humanitarian crisis. Underscoring that the most vulnerable always “bear the highest cost” of the crisis, he said that females were more likely to be hungry, sick or exposed to gender-based violence and, with little access to essential services, millions of internally displaced people face “a daily struggle to survive”. Cause for hope In a positive development, the UN official credited the international community for stepping up support to the country’s humanitarian aid operation. Thanking the world leaders, he said that Yemen’s Humanitarian Response Plan is “among the most well-funded”, with 98 per cent of the pledges made at an event in March fulfilled. With over $2 billion received, the UN and its partners were able to “prevent famine and pull people back from the brink of despair”, delivering assistance to “every single one of the country’s 333 districts”. ‘Far from done’ Despite these important achievements, Mr. Griffiths acknowledged that the work there is “far from done”, as many sectors still face “alarming funding gaps” and humanitarians are working with less than one-fifth of the money needed to provide health care, sanitation, and shelter. “Without additional funding, these and other forms of critical life-saving support – including food assistance – will have to be reduced in the coming weeks and months”, he warned. Three requests The UN relief chief asked global leaders to continue generously supporting Yemen’s humanitarian operation; respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians; and address the root drivers of the crisis, including restrictions on imports, which elevate the prices of essential goods. He urged them to do “everything in our collective power to stop this war”, saying, “at the end of the day, peace is what will provide Yemenis the most sustainable form of relief”. Children robbed The war has robbed too many of Yemen’s children of safety, education and opportunities. “Each day, the violence and destruction wreak havoc on the lives of children and their families”, Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), told the meeting. She painted a grim picture of 1.7 million displaced youth, 11.3 million youngsters depending on humanitarian assistance to survive and 2.3 million under-five “acutely malnourished” – nearly 400,000 of whom are at “imminent risk of death”. “Being a child in Yemen means you have probably either experienced or witnessed horrific violence that no child should ever face”, said the UNICEF chief. “Quite simply, Yemen is one of the most difficult places in the world to be a child”. Millions ‘marching towards starvation’ In his address, World Food Programme (WFP) chief David Beasley said that in a nation of 30 million people, food rations are needed by 12.9 million; while 3.3 million children and women need special nutrition, together with 1.6 million school children. “We’re literally looking at 16 million people marching towards starvation”, he said. With one thousand people a week dying from a lack of food and nutrition, the senior WFP official warned that if $800 million is not received in the next six months, the need to cut rations could lead to the death of 400,000 children under the age of five next year. “We have a moral, obligation, to speak out and step up”, he stated, appealing to the world leaders to “put the pressure on all parties…to end this conflict”. “These are our children; these are our brothers and sisters we need the donors to step up immediately otherwise children are going to die. Let’s not let them down. Let’s do what we need to do”, concluded Mr. Beasley.

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Publication

08 July 2021

Education Disrupted: Impact of the conflict on children’s education in Yemen

Two-thirds of teaching workforce – over 170,000 teachers– have not received regular salary for four years SANA'A, 5 July 2021 – Six years on, Yemeni children’s education has become one of the greatest casualties of Yemen’s devastating and ongoing conflict, according to a new report published by UNICEF today. Just over 2 million school-age girls and boys are now out of school as poverty, conflict and lack of opportunities disrupt their education. This is double the number of out-of-school children in 2015 when the conflict started. The report, ‘Education Disrupted: Impact of the conflict on children’s education in Yemen’, looks at the risks and challenges children face when out of school, and the urgent actions needed to protect them. “Access to quality education is a basic right for every child, including for girls, displaced children and those with disabilities,” said Philippe Duamelle, UNICEF Representative to Yemen. “The conflict has a staggering impact on every aspect of children’s lives, yet access to education provides a sense of normalcy for children in even the most desperate contexts and protects them from multiple forms of exploitation. Keeping children in school is critical for their own future and the future of Yemen.” The report highlights that when children are not in school, the consequences are dire, both for their present and their futures. Girls are being forced into early marriage, where they remain trapped in a cycle of poverty and unfulfilled potential. Boys and girls are more vulnerable to being coerced into child labour or recruited into the fighting. More than 3,600 children in Yemen were recruited in the past six years. To make matters worse, two-thirds of teachers in Yemen – over 170,000 teachers in total – have not received a regular salary for more than four years because of the conflict and geopolitical divides. This puts around four million additional children at risk of disrupted education or dropping out as unpaid teachers quit teaching to find other ways of providing for their families. Children who do not finish their education are trapped in a self-perpetuating cycle of poverty. If out-of-school children or those who have dropped out recently are not properly supported, they may never return to school. The combined effects of the prolonged conflict and the latest assault on education in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic will have devastating and long-lasting effects on the learning as well as the mental and physical well-being of children and adolescents in Yemen. In the report, UNICEF calls for all stakeholders in Yemen to uphold children’s right to education and work together to achieve lasting and inclusive peace. This includes stopping attacks on schools – there have been 231 since March 2015 – and ensuring teachers get a regular income so that children can continue to learn and grow, and for international donors to support education programmes with long-term funding. Media contacts Joe English
UNICEF New York
Tel: +1 917 893 0692
Email: jenglish@unicef.org Mohamed Aboelnaga
UNICEF Yemen
Email: maboelnaga@unicef.org Alix Reboul-Salze
UNICEF Yemen
Tel: +967-712223001
Email: areboulsalze@unicef.org

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Story

19 June 2022

With emergency obstetric care elusive, pregnant women in Yemen face tragic consequences

HADRAMOUT, AMRAN AND TAIZZ GOVERNORATES, Yemen – An internally displaced woman named Hamsa* in labour arrived at Maifa’a Mother and Child Centre in Hadramout Governorate, known to provide free obstetric services, only to discover medical personnel gone and delivery services cut off. Raisa*, ready to give birth to her first child, made it to Al Dhabr Health Centre in Amran Governorate but found the doors locked, no longer open around-the-clock due to lack of personnel. Hours ticked by as her pains intensified, but her family couldn’t afford transportation to another hospital. When Amat* rushed to Al Khabt Hospital in Taizz Governorate in critical condition, she, too, realized that the obstetric care she had been counting on had vanished – and the nearest hospital that could save her and her baby’s life was precious hours away. Funding streams dry up UNFPA is the sole provider of reproductive health medicines and is leading reproductive health service provision in Yemen. But lack of funding has forced it to scale back humanitarian operations by 25 per cent since the beginning of the year. (Only 13 per cent of a $100 million appeal has been funded so far.) In 2021, UNFPA reached 1.6 million women and girls with reproductive health services, assisting 151,000 safe deliveries and averting 344,000 unintended pregnancies with support to 127 health facilities and payments to 2,065 health workers. But UNFPA has had to reprioritize, currently supporting 98 health facilities and four reproductive health mobile teams with the contributions of Canada, the Central Emergency Response Fund, the European Union, the Netherlands, Qatar Fund for Development, USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Aid and Yemen Humanitarian Fund. Pregnant women pay a steep price In Maifa’a, Hamsa had to seek help from a traditional birth attendant at home. The attendant did not realize she needed a Caesarean section and when she started bleeding heavily, had to be taken to the nearest hospital in Al Mukalla City 130 kilometres away. There the medical team managed to save Hamsa’s life, but not her newborn baby girl. Al Dhabr Health Centre, where Raisa tried to obtain care, had provided free reproductive health-care services since 2018, with UNFPA supporting a female doctor and trained midwife. The clinic received up to 30 cases a day but after it started charging for services and medicines (beyond affordable for most), it saw two patients a day. Until it reduced working hours from 24 to 5, the clinic had never recorded a single maternal death. The clinic, which has lost specialists, has stopped testing for birth defects, providing post-delivery incubators and performing surgeries due to lack of fuel that could cut power mid-operation. Raisa had to go to a midwife, who advised that her critical condition warranted a visit to the hospital. With no money for transport, she went to a second midwife, who also told her she needed emergency care. Raisa, who was 32, died before reaching a hospital; her baby daughter survived. A health system in ruins Only half of Yemen’s hospitals remain functional, and only one in five of them provide maternal and child health services. Nineteen of the country’s 22 governorates have six maternity beds for every 10,000 people, half of what the World Health Organization deems standard. In addition, an estimated 42.4 per cent of the population lives more than one hour away from the nearest fully or partially functional public hospital. One Yemeni woman dies every two hours during childbirth from causes that are almost entirely preventable. An estimated 8.1 million women and girls of childbearing age require help accessing reproductive health services, including antenatal care, safe delivery services, postnatal care, family planning and emergency obstetric and newborn care. Among them are 1.3 million women who will deliver in 2022, of whom 195,000 are projected to develop complications that will require life-saving medical assistance. A desperate search for help Doctors at Al Khabt Hospital referred Amat to Al Mahweet City Hospital three hours away, where the family found out that it, too, didn’t provide the services she needed, including a blood bank. “On the way, I fainted,” she recalled. “I saw my whole life wiped out just like that.” Her husband panicked when her lips turned blue. “The moment I touched her, I felt they were going to be taken away from me,” he said. Another two-and-a-half hours away was Al Jumhori Hospital in Al Mahwit City. The largest in the governorate, it is still being supported by UNFPA – and was an unconscious and barely breathing Amat’s last chance. After nearly six hours of travelling due to poor road infrastructure, mother and baby survived. “It’s simple,” said midwife Afrah, who helped deliver Amat’s son. “When services are readily available, we can save lives.” *Names changed for privacy and protection

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06 June 2022

YEMENI WOMEN LEAD COMMUNITIES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

Aden – One of the greatest challenges facing society today, the warming of the planet is showing no signs of decreasing. In Yemen, where communities are confronting conflict and economic decline, temperatures have been rising faster than the global average over the last three decades. Across the country, droughts and floods periodically damage agricultural lands, reduce the availability of arable lands and threaten the livelihoods and food security of communities. “Agriculture is the main source of income for our communities, but climate change has made farming difficult and brought a decline in our economy,” said Noha Alban, a community leader from Lahj. "Climate change has caused drought and water scarcity, which has made it impossible for farmers to grow their food. They now need to dig wells which are expensive. This has forced many farmers to sell their land and move to other areas,” she added. Yemen is facing a decline in agricultural productivity and a shortage of seasonal crops on which the rural population depends, leading to increased food insecurity, high rates of malnutrition, as well as the continued shortage of groundwater and drinkable clean water. "Before we started to experience drought, heavy rain and flooding, 80 per cent of our community worked on farms but now only 30 per cent can afford seeds or the other resources they need to continue farming,” said Noha. In rural communities across Yemen, women are tackling the issue of climate change with grit and resilience. Women often work as farmers and increasingly are becoming the sole breadwinners of their families, says Noha. They also play a pivotal role in food security and land management and help to mitigate tension over natural resources like water among local farming groups. Noha is a member of the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Conflict Resolution Committee which was formed to address issues that arise in communities due to displacement and competition over resources. Committee members work to raise awareness about environmental sustainability, social cohesion and peaceful solutions to conflicts through community dialogue and mediation. "The majority of people here know the climate is changing but they do not know what kinds of precautions they can take. People need more awareness about climate change to learn how to protect themselves from rain and winds, and how to store rainwater," added Noha. “Women can help to reduce the risks of climate change by talking to people and raising their awareness.” Noha and other members work closely with male and female farmers to improve and care for their agricultural crops, as well as educate them about the complications of climate change and the causes of floods and droughts. "As a member of the Conflict Resolution Committee, I help to resolve these disputes. We also educate farmers and encourage them to support each other in the management of resources and their land," elaborated Noha. “Everyone in society should come together to solve these issues as a community, not individually.” In coordination with community leaders and local authorities and support from the European Union, IOM works extensively with its partners and the Conflict Resolution Committees with the aim of alleviating the pressure that arises from mass displacement and competition over resources and services. The committee also works to solve environmental and climate change-related problems and helps farmers find solutions for shortages related to water, seeds and other basic resources.

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01 May 2022

UN Volunteers provide critical healthcare in times of crisis in Yemen

UN Volunteer health professionals have been providing much-needed critical healthcare for UN operations in Yemen in times of crisis. Since 2020, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme has deployed 60 UN Volunteer doctors, nurses and other medical providers, almost all of whom are nationals, in UN Clinics administered by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in seven locations in Yemen. National UN Volunteers have been playing a key role in providing healthcare to over 6,000 UN staff and their eligible dependents. They carry out daily walk-in consultations, emergency care, inpatient care, follow up of cases and healthcare promotional activities, with proper guidance from international UN Volunteers and senior medical staff, as stipulated in the UN Clinic Standard Operating Procedures. In addition, they contribute to health consultations, workshops on universal precautions and COVID-19 awareness activities, in cooperation with relevant governmental health departments. The country-wide deployment of these UN Volunteers was meant to keep up with the needs on the ground, and to facilitate the wide international humanitarian response to the crisis in Yemen. Humanitarian and relief activities are implemented by international and national staff who, in turn, rely on a robust healthcare system to keep them well in the field. Thus, the deployment of UN Volunteer medical workers enables the work of many others. — Abdullah Al Duraibi, UNV Country Coordinator in Yemen. Accordingly, the level of expectations from these UN Volunteers went beyond the commitment required from a health worker to their patients in a normal context. Recruited in the context of a national crisis, compounded with a global pandemic situation, being prepared to go over and beyond, and having the ability to work within diverse teams were critical assets. UN Volunteer Marwah Al-Maqtari had full understanding of this context when she was recruited as a National Emergency Doctor for the UN Clinic in Sana’a back in May 2020. “Serving as a UN Volunteer within the COVID-19 team required a disciplined professional commitment around the clock,” she explains. For Marwah, being a doctor is not just about treating the patients, it is about “listening to their fears and concerns and staying by their side,” as well. These medical volunteers are part of a larger community of UN Volunteers, including ambulance drivers, human rights advocates, translators, engineers and information technology experts, among others. Together with their colleagues serving UN operations in Yemen, this volunteer community maintains knowledge-sharing platforms, renewable energy sources and updated medical procedures, upon which healthcare systems depend. Our UN Volunteers learn from one another and work closely together. This high degree of cooperation and learning contributes to capacity building and improves the care we provide. — Dr Florence Fongang, UN Physician/Health Manager with UNDP in Yemen UN Volunteer Ahmed Al Rough serves as an Emergency Nurse within the UN Clinic in Sana’a. His core duties involve providing primary healthcare to the beneficiaries of the UN Clinic, preparing medical supplies for emergency services and managing referrals. He also plays a key role in updating the daily COVID-19 statistics, which contributed greatly to the review and update of the UN country team’s COVID-19 protocols. “Unfortunately, patients often delay medical services because they are misinformed and dissuaded by stigmas,” says Dr Florence. This is an issue the UN Volunteers help to address, benefiting from their position as national volunteers embedded in the local community, which allows them build trust with local beneficiaries. Alongside his core duties, Ahmed helps counter misinformation. For example, he conducted awareness workshops and developed dashboards, flyers and other information material about COVID-19 pandemic. These activities helped local communities acquire the knowledge and skills needed to reduce disease transmission and increased transparency with real-time situation updates. Indeed, a devastating economic recession, years of conflict and political insecurity have taken a heavy toll on the healthcare sector in Yemen. These challenges have resulted in under-investment, which limited the access to and quality of medical supplies, services and continuing education opportunities.
However, through their hard work and dedication, UN Volunteers are planting the seeds of positive change. By building trust in national capabilities, they inspire hope for Yemen’s post-conflict recovery.

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Story

27 April 2022

From Inspiration to Action: I Believe in Volunteers

My journey as a UN Volunteer started with a recommendation from a friend. At the time, I had practiced medicine in my home country, Cameroon, for over 20 years. A close friend advised me to join the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme as a way to expand my experience in medicine, while traveling and volunteering in service of others. My recollection of my sister’s illness made me decide right away that this was right for me. When I was younger, my sister developed a medical condition. She underwent two heart surgical procedures and endured a lot of suffering, but she survived and inspired me. She later asked me to consider a career in medicine to help other young girls. When this volunteering opportunity came up, I took it and became a UN Volunteer on 27 March 2008. I was recruited for the first volunteer assignment in Haiti. As a mother of a seven year-old twins, it was not easy for me to travel and leave them behind. But I did it with the support of my husband, who understood my motives and took good care of our children while I was deployed overseas. I am sharing my experience to encourage other women, especially mothers, to not pass on such opportunities. I understand their role as caregivers. I hope learning about how I volunteered, and balanced between my work and family, will make them more confident that they can do it too. While in Haiti, I practiced medicine amidst floods, cholera, earthquakes and a severe economic recession. These harsh conditions damaged roads and threatened the supply of food and other resources to affected communities. My volunteering journey with the UN took me next to support the Ebola response in Africa, amidst lockdowns and a profound public health crisis, which garnered the world's concern. Through these emergency and disaster relief contexts, I became involved in inpatient and outpatient services, medical evacuations, capacity building, prevention and disease mitigation activities. It was especially heartwarming to see my work being recognized while knowing I was making the contributions my sister always believed I would make. Serving with UNV prepared me in ways that I couldn't have imagined. These experiences were wide-ranging and led my career growth within the UN. I eventually transitioned from a UN Volunteer Medical Officer to become the Health Manager of the UN Clinic administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), first in Somalia, then in Yemen, which is a lead medical position in the field. When COVID-19 hit the globe, I was in Yemen. Indeed, I was the one of the first female doctors to join the UN Clinic medical team in Yemen. Like my home country Cameroon, Yemen desperately needs to increase the number of doctors and nurses to improve health conditions and address humanitarian needs. My previous experience allowed me to understand both the significant role women can play in this regard and the value UN Volunteers can add in such contexts. I moved quickly to recruit, deploy and train national UN Volunteers in our UN Clinics. All while ensuring inclusion of women in the deployments, coupled with flexible schedules and remote work opportunities which promote work-life balance. Ultimately, our work in Yemen benefited significantly from the contribution of the recruited national UN Volunteer health professionals. As I travel between clinics to attend to patients and help building staff capacity, I often think of my sister and how she inspired me. I also think about my children and how my own journey would inspire them. At first, my children didn't want to study medicine. While in Cameroon, they saw me work long hours and weekends then come home tired. They struggled to embrace the career that demanded a lot of their mother's time. However, my children began to view medicine differently after I joined UNV. They began to understand how important doctors are to crisis-affected communities and now see themselves in the lives we save. This is everything to me.

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05 April 2022

The Long-Term Price of Yemen’s Conflict

The cost of the prolonged conflict in Yemen is paid by most Yemenis. The extreme poverty, steep economic decline, displacements, and lack of basic medical services abound in a country deemed as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. But the biggest price Yemenis pay is the widespread planting of mines across the country which will continue to impact the 31.8 million Yemenis for years to come. Since 2018, according to the Civilian Impact monitoring Project (CIMP), over 1,800 civilians have been injured or killed in Yemen's explosive Remnants of War (ERW) – 689 of whom were women and children. One who paid a tragic price was Essa, aged 21 years, a shepherd and farmer from Mocha in Taiz. Essa and his family were living in their peaceful village, living and working on a small farm. That was until he and his family were forced from their home when the fighting reached their area – turning his once peaceful home into a frontline of the conflict. After several months and the dust from the battle settled, Essa and his family were able to return home to try to rebuild their lives and heal from the long-lasting effects of displacement. Quickly after the return, Essa resumed working his farmland. He initially planted flowers, hoping to grow some beautiful blooming plants as blossoms hope for the community. Unfortunately, he did not realize that something else had been planted before his family’s return to the land: anti-personnel mines. One fateful day in 2017 as Essa was heading to his farmland, he stepped on one. Passed out, he was rushed to the hospital in an attempt to save his life. Although he could not remember what happened, when he woke, he was devastated to realize that he lost his left leg in the blast. But Essa was not the only one to be injured or killed. Sadly, there had already been five people killed and 10 others injured, as well as tens of vital livestock – the only means for some villager’s income. And there would have likely been more had the Yemeni Executive Mine Action Centre (YEMAC) – with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – not been immediately notified and taken swift action. Mine survey and clearance teams were quickly deployed to the area. YEMAC teams cleared hundreds of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) in the area. They also began extensive awareness-raising campaigns in the community with teams deployed to raise villager’s awareness around mines and UXOs. They taught about avoidance of the UXOs and proper reporting channels. Their quick and effective work clearing the land and educating the community helped ensure the 300 inhabitants, including 200 internally displaced people (IDPs), and livestock were safe from continued fatal explosives. The roads leading to water sources and around damaged schools and homes were once again safe for Essa and the villagers. "Once UNDP and YEMAC heard about this incident, they responded immediately and removed the landmines from the area, opening the way for civilians to live a life free of fear," says Essa. In 2021, with support from UNDP and its international partners, 200 YEMAC mine action professionals – 17 of whom were women – were trained in non-technical survey (NTS), explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), and improvised explosive device (IED) disposal. This resulted in the clearing of 73,930 mines and UXOs (of which 25,876 were destroyed) from an area of nearly 4.5 million square meters. Additionally, more than 5.6 million people were reached through Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) activities with 391 victims benefiting from YEMAC support. Through these collective efforts across Yemen, people and communities – as well as livestock and agriculture – will be able to thrive in safe and secure areas to begin to rebuild the country for a brighter future. *** Since 2017, UNDP Yemen and its partners the Yemen Executive Mine Action Centre (YEMAC) and the Yemen Mine Action Co-ordination Centre (Y-MACC) have been developing the national capacity to respond to the threats posed by explosive hazards, assist in the restoration of basic services, facilitate access to infrastructure, reduce injuries and fatalities, provide access for the delivery of humanitarian aid, and support government and national mine control institutions through the Emergency Mine Action Project.

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Press Release

19 August 2022

World Humanitarian Day 2022

Aid workers in Yemen – more than 95 per cent of whom are Yemenis – ensure that 12.6 million people on average receive humanitarian assistance or protection support every month. But they operate in an extremely challenging environment. They are too often subjected to threats to their safety and well-being, even as they work to save lives and reduce suffering every day.
This year has seen an alarming increase in attacks on aid workers in Yemen. The first half of 2022 saw an aid worker killed, two injured, seven kidnapped and nine detained. There were 27 incidents of threat and intimidation between January and June, compared with 17 such incidents recorded all of last year. There were also 28 carjacking incidents recorded in the first six months of the year, 17 more than in 2021. Twenty-seven attacks against aid organizations’ premises and facilities – including the looting of humanitarian supplies and other assets – were recorded in the first half of 2022, also more than in the whole of 2021.
In recent months, aid workers have been targets of disinformation and incitement, including false allegations that they corrupt Yemeni values, including the morals of young women. Such baseless allegations jeopardize the safety and security of humanitarian workers, especially Yemeni female aid workers at a time when women and girls are experiencing increased levels of violence and a rollback of their rights in many parts of the globe.
“Violence and threats against humanitarian workers undermine the delivery of aid, further jeopardizing the lives of those most in need,” said the Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, David Gressly. “Aid workers in Yemen deserve to be celebrated for their selfless dedication.”
While the UN-brokered truce has provided tangible relief to civilians since going into effect in April and deserves full backing, more than seven years of conflict and economic collapse continue to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis. More than 23 million people need some form of humanitarian assistance or protection. The number of people that are food insecure is projected to increase to 19 million by December. The malnutrition rate among women and children is among the highest in the world and a third of the 4.3 million internally displaced people in Yemen continue to live under dire conditions. Without the tireless commitment of humanitarians in Yemen, the situation would be far worse.
“Aid workers in Yemen remain unwavering in their mission. These selfless women and men continue to step up to every day, providing millions of people in need with food and cash, health services and clean water, protection and emergency education,” Mr. Gressly said. “We should all do everything we can to protect them and support their critical work.”

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Press Release

14 August 2022

UNESCO Collaborates with Qatar National Library for Plans to Launch Yemeni Documentary Heritage Exhibition

The exhibition, supported by the UNESCO office for the Gulf States and Yemen, will be built on the Library’s rich photography and manuscripts collection from Yemen and aims to raise awareness of the importance of protecting and preserving it. On the occasion, Tan Huism, Executive Director at Qatar National Library said, “We are pleased to collaborate with UNESCO to offer the public an opportunity to learn about Yemeni culture and heritage. The Library plays a significant role in increasing awareness and appreciation of local and regional heritage and has also been providing global access to knowledge across regional and international fronts.” “With a treasure trove of some of the rarest and most valuable historical images and manuscripts from Yemen, we believe the exhibition will be a wonderful way for our communities to explore and engage with the cultural wealth of the country. The agreement is also an example of the Library’s efforts in raising awareness around the need for greater protection of the region’s documentary heritage,” she added. “We are happy to pursue our longstanding partnership with Qatar National Library through the organization of this exhibition, which will shed light on the importance of preserving and protecting Yemeni documentary heritage. Today, more than ever, documentary heritage institutions in Yemen need support and funding to ensure the preservation of their extraordinary cultural heritage that is under increasing risk. We hope through this project, to raise awareness about the richness of the Yemeni heritage and highlight the importance and urgency of supporting initiatives that will have a direct impact on the preservation of documentary heritage,” Salah Khaled, Director of the UNESCO Office for Gulf States and Yemen UNESCO Gulf States and Yemen office and The Library continue to explore regional and international collaborations to continue their role in
sharing the cultural legacy of the Arab world and providing people with a wide variety of
informative and educational content.

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Press Release

21 June 2022

Japan and UNOPS Enhance Access to Healthcare Services in Yemen

Aden, June 18, 2022 – With support from the Government of Japan, UNOPS delivered eight mobile clinics to the Ministry of Public Health and Population in Aden. Funded by the Government of Japan, the project “Urgent Support to Health Services through the Provision of Mobile Clinics in Yemen,” focused on increasing access to healthcare through enhancing the operational capacity and resilience of the Ministry of Public Health and Population in Aden and southern governorates. It is envisaged that the additional mobile clinics will support provision of essential health services, including urgent response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to 50,000 people, 47% of whom are females. In addition to the provision of the mobile clinics, through this project, UNOPS provided training to the health workers on operations and maintenance procedures for the clinics. Appreciating the value of the initiative, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Public Health and Population, Dr. Ahmed Al-Kamal said: “Today, we receive the mobile clinics provided by the people and Government of Japan and we extend our appreciation to them. The mobile clinics will provide a big service to the Yemeni people in the areas where healtcare services are not available. The mobile clinics could be considered mini-hospitals'' “The complexity of the crisis in Yemen in recent years, combined with the effects of the global pandemic, have seriously affected the living conditions of Yemeni communities and their access to essential social services, including health. As a result of our partnerships with Japan, the mobile clinics that UNOPS deliverd today will further enhance the Ministry’s capacity to reach the communities in Aden and the southern governorates, and deliver the much needed access to quality health care,” said Muhammad Usman Akram, Director of UNOPS Multi-Country Office in Amman. - END - About UNOPS: UNOPS helps the UN and its partners provide peace and security, humanitarian and development solutions. The organization’s mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development. UNOPS services cover infrastructure, project management, procurement, financial management and human resources. Partners call on UNOPS to supplement their own capacities, improve speed, reduce risks, boost cost-effectiveness and increase quality. UNOPS Operational Hub in Amman covers projects in Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen and implements work in partnership with bilateral donors, national governments and other UN agencies. For Press Inquiries, please contact: Anwar Abu Sakieneh, Communications Specialist (UNOPS) Mobile number: +962 7 9902 6315 AnwarAB@unops.org or +962 6 5902122

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Press Release

13 June 2022

Statement: UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, David Gressly, opening remarks at the Sana’a Center online briefing on the UN-coordinated plan to address the threat of the FSO Safer 13 June 2022

Statement UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, David Gressly, opening remarks at the Sana’a Center online briefing on the UN-coordinated plan to address the threat of the FSO Safer 13 June 2022
Well, Spencer, thank you very much. It’s really great to be here. I would like to thank you and the Sana’a Center for the opportunity to reach out to all of the media that’s online. And I look forward to answering questions as we go forward this afternoon. I would like to start off with just a brief outline of the overall plan that we have in place and then talk about the resource requirements, which is the critical piece that we’re facing right now. We do have an operational plan that has the confirmed commitment from the authorities here in Sana’a and, equally important, the government of Yemen. In fact, we just had consultations on that today, in both Sana’a and Aden to reconfirm that. So this plan is well endorsed in terms of the overall approach.
So that was an important step to get this operation going. We are very far advanced on procurement of the salvage operation and vessel procurement for transferring the oil. So we’re basically pretty ready to go. We have about $144 million we need to carry the whole operation through in two stages – an initial emergency operation just to get the oil out of the current Safer tanker into a secure vessel and then a longer term, second stage to replace the existing capacity that the current FSO vessel represents. Frankly speaking, the primary constraint we face is no longer really political, security, procurement or operational. It’s resources. And that’s really why I want to highlight that aspect today. And so we’ve made an appeal in the Netherlands back in May where we raised about $33 million. We need $80 million to start this operation – to do the emergency phase. We need the additional $64 million, approximately, to complete the second stage. So we have the $33 million plus roughly $5 million-$6 million that we already had in hand. We were roughly in the $40 million range and I want to thank the donors that made those initial pledges because that was extremely important to get this resource mobilization initiative underway. Specifically, I would like to highlight the role that the Netherlands has played in not only making a significant contribution, but in the continued outreach to other member states to support. Germany, which has made a very significant contribution. The United Kingdom, European Union, Qatar, Sweden, Norway, Finland, France, Switzerland, and Luxemberg have all made [pledges or] contributions that have carried us to this point. And, most recently, both the United States as well as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have pledged an additional $10 million each, which gets us to about the $60 million threshold of the initial $80 million that we need to raise to start the operation.
Our discussions with other donors for the second stage are well underway. So we’re optimistic that we’ll raise the funding for both stages in an appropriate time. But let’s focus on where we are today and how we can close the current gap. And that’s really what I want to highlight because we’re launching a social media fundraising campaign that will open tomorrow [14 June]. It’s important that we get the word out to the public that we really need to get this funding going. So, we do have for the [emergency operation] about a $20 million gap and we really need to raise that as soon as possible. We’re still in a good period for the operation, but by the time we get to October, November, the environment to carry out the operation becomes more difficult. More importantly, it’s because of the nature of the winds and currents that increase the chances that this vessel, which is old and decaying, will break up. That would be the highest time of risk in in fact. So, we really want to get this going quickly. We’re trying to get to this $80 million figure by the end of this month, it’s doable, but it’s going to take a push and that’s why we’re calling on the public to help us to cross the finish line to get that first $80 million in place. $20 million is really not much when you look at the overall cost that this catastrophe would have. If indeed there were a spill, the estimates that we’ve received on the cleanup alone would be $20 billion. A $20 million additional investment today to save $20 billion seems like a very easy business case to make. A return of $1,000 on every dollar invested. But that $20 billion is just the cleanup cost. It doesn’t count the other costs that will affect the region. The disruption to international shipping would have a major cost – costing huge amounts on a daily basis. We saw that with the recent incident of the Ever Given when it ran aground – how that impacted. That potential is there. If there’s sufficient pollution in the shipping lanes that could have a significant impact. It will certainly have a significant impact on the ecosystems. The Red Sea is known for its pristine environments, which would no longer be pristine after such a spill. The reefs and the mangroves across the Red Sea could be affected. It might take as much as 25 years to restock the fisheries. Any country along the Red Sea could be affected. It would depend on the currents and winds at the time of the spill. That would determine which countries, but that means all countries are currently at risk. Tourism on the Red Sea would be affected. Desalination plants would be affected. It would affect not only the Arabian peninsula coastline of the Sed Sea, but also the African coastline. But of course, Yemen, currently in conflict, would be the most affected. Fishing communities would be devastated with maybe as many as 200,000 jobs wiped out overnight. This industry supports over 2 million people, directly or indirectly. Whole families would be exposed to pollutants. Millions of people would be forced to breathe more polluted air. The ports of Hudeidah and Saleef would be closed. These are the ports that supply the majority of Yemenis with food, whether commercial or humanitarian assistance, but also fuel and other life-saving commodities. 17 million Yemenis are already uncertain where their next meal will come from, even in the current circumstances with the ports open. There’s too much at stake to allow this to happen. And we’re so close. We just need to bridge that gap and we can start this operation. As I said earlier, we need about $144 million to carry the whole operation through. We need $80 million to start it, to get the emergency operation done, and then we’ll work on the long-term replacement capacity. As I mentioned at the beginning, the political will is there. We reconfirm that periodically. They’re anxious in fact that we start. We don’t see any real obstacle to move ahead from that front. We just need the funding, as I keep saying. We’re close, but we're not there. Every day that goes by is another day that we take a risk, a chance that this vessel will break up and the catastrophe that I described will unfold.
We need to take action. As I mentioned earlier, as we get into October, November, December, the odds of that happening will be significantly higher. So we’re running out of time. That’s why today I’m announcing a social media fundraising campaign to help us close the gap. We’re asking the global public and not just member states – the global public to crowdfund a quarter of the remaining gap. That would be $5 million for this emergency operation. $5 million is an ambitious goal for this kind of campaign, but, given the stakes, I think it is one that we should strive for. Importantly, every dollar that the public puts forward in this operation sends a message to all other member states and private companies, foundations that have not yet contributed or could contribute that they also need to act now before it’s too late. The campaign will be located on the UN website at un.org/StopRedSeaSpill.
That’s fairly obvious. It will be hosted by the global United Nations website. Or it will also be accessible through the UN Foundation where there is a donation page hosted. So you can either access the donations through the global UN website or go directly to the UN Foundation and make your contribution directly there. I’m basically appealing to the public as well as member states to help us close this gap, start this operation, and save a catastrophe that is not just a probability or possibility, but a certainty if we do not act. It’s not only a question of when. It’s not a question of if. Let’s get it done now, if we can. Thank you very much for your time, your attention and your support. Thank you. For further information, please contact: Russell Geekie, Senior Communications Advisor to the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, geekie@org

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Press Release

11 May 2022

UN-Netherlands press release on FSO Safer pledging event

The Hague, 11 May 2022 – The Government of the Netherlands and the United Nations co-hosted a pledging event in The Hague today where donors pledged US$33 million in new funding for the UN-coordinated operational plan to address the threat of a major oil spill from the FSO Safer. There is now $40 million available for the operation, which includes previously committed funds. The decaying oil tanker is moored off the coast of Yemen and holds four times the amount of oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez. It could break apart or explode at any time. The conference marked the start in the effort to raise the $144 million that the plan requires, including $80 million for an emergency operation to transfer the oil to a safe temporary vessel. Also critical to the plan’s success is the installation of a long-term replacement capacity. “Today has been an important step forward in eliminating the threat posed by the FSO Safer. In today’s pledging event, we managed to collect a sizeable amount. We will continue to support the UN in the month of May to gather the remaining funds needed. Many countries are showing great interest to join the effort. I am hopeful we will get there,” said Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands Liesje Schreinemacher. The Netherlands pledged almost $8 million. The other donors signing pledging commitments were Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Qatar, Sweden, Norway, Finland, France, Switzerland and Luxembourg. The result of a major spill would be a humanitarian and environmental catastrophe and cost the region tens of billions of dollars in cleanup and economic costs. More than 200,000 Yemenis in the fishing industry could lose their livelihoods overnight, tourism would be affected as far away as Egypt and shipping could be disrupted through the Bab al-Mandab straight and the Suez canal. The environmental damage in the Red Sea and its coastlines would be severe. Minister of Foreign Trade of the Netherlands Wopke Hoekstra said: “Together, we can prevent one of the largest environmental disasters in history and save lives. Cleaning up a disaster caused by the FSO Safer would cost an estimated $20 billion. Preventing it will cost only $144 million. It’s a very simple business case. But it does require us to act.” “We are grateful to the donors that committed funding today at very short notice and look forward to receiving further commitments from those that have not yet pledged. When we have the funding, the work can begin,” said David Gressly, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen. “Today marks a strong launch of our efforts to ensure the project’s success, including outreach to the private sector. We need to work quickly to get the remaining funds to start the four-month operation in the weather window we have ahead of us,” The planned operation comprises the installation of a replacement vessel or equivalent capacity and the emergency operation to transfer the oil to a safe temporary vessel. The plan would cover the salaries of a crew to maintain the leased temporary vessel until the long-term solution is implemented. “The timing and funding are both critical. If we do not receive sufficient funding urgently, the weather window to transfer the oil will close. By October, high winds and volatile currents make the operation more dangerous and increase the risk of the ship breaking up,” said Auke Lootsma, UNDP Yemen Resident Representative. Background for editors In September, the United Nations’ senior management instructed Mr. Gressly to provide UN system-wide leadership on the FSO Safer and coordinate all efforts to mitigate the threat. He continues to engage in discussions with a wide range of stakeholders on the operational plan to resolve the threat while supporting work to strengthen contingency plans in the event of a catastrophic oil leak. Constructed in 1976 as an oil tanker and converted a decade later to be a floating storage facility for oil, the FSO Safer is moored about 4.8 nautical miles off the coast of Hodeidah governorate. The 376-metre-long vessel contains more than one million barrels of light crude oil – four times the amount spilled by the Exxon Valdez. With no maintenance operations undertaken on the Safer since 2015 due to the conflict, its structural integrity has significantly deteriorated and the vessel is at imminent risk of spilling oil due to leakages or an explosion. A significant spill would quickly surpass national capacity and resources to mount an effective spill response. The result would be catastrophic, devastating the Yemen coast, destroying livelihoods and likely forcing a closure of the ports of Al Hodeidah and As Salif - which are essential for the importation of commercial imports and life-saving humanitarian assistance. Depending on the season and prevailing wind and currents, the environmental impact would also affect Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia, and could disrupt vital shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea. For further information, please contact: United Nations Russell Geekie, Senior Communications Advisor to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator geekie@un.org Government of the Netherlands Spokespersons: Tessa van Staden, tessa-van.staden@minbuza.nl, and Mina Goesjenova, mina.goesjenova@minbuza.nl

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