IOM helps nearly 30,000 people in Yemen rebuild shelters destroyed by floods

Sana’a – Over 80,000 people in Yemen have been impacted by heavy rains and floods, since late May. Among those most affected are displaced communities whose makeshift shelters have failed to weather the storm, exposing them to the elements.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is distributing emergency aid items to flood survivors, particularly displaced families, in the worst-affected governorates: Aden, Abyan, Hajjah, Ibb and Taizz.

The world’s largest humanitarian crisis has been compounded by severe natural hazards. Every year, the people of Yemen feel the full force of extreme weather, including floods and cyclones. Over 1.1 million of the 3.65 million people displaced across Yemen are living in the five governorates, which experienced the heaviest rains this year.

As an initial response in all five governorates, IOM is distributing emergency shelter kits, which include wood, plastic sheeting, rope and tools, to nearly 30,000 people with damaged or destroyed temporary shelters. IOM is also distributing blankets, mattresses, buckets, kitchen sets and sleeping mats to help these families set up their shelters. The vast majority of those receiving emergency shelter and household kits are living in displacement sites due to the conflict.

Eight months ago, the conflict forced thirty-six-year-old father of seven, Abdullah Al-Jumai, from his home in Haradh to Shafer within Hajjah governorate. He and his family were displaced again within the Shafer locality by heavy rainfall a few weeks ago. Describing it as a tragedy, Abdullah said: “We were sleeping under trees during the rain.” He went on to say that proper shelter was all the family hoped for currently. IOM started an aid distribution to flood survivors in Hajjah on Sunday, 23 June.

A woman at an IOM distribution in Hajjah, 60-year-old Namja Isaa, described how for the past year her family, displaced to Shafer, lived in a shelter made of plastic sheets and grass. “In Yemen, we call them Aushash [hut] but it could not withstand the rain, so we became homeless,” said Namja.

Aden and Abyan governorates also experienced some of the heaviest rainfall in years. Displaced people’s shelters were destroyed, and flooding meant that what little belongings displaced families had were damaged.

IOM will continue to support flood-affected families beyond the current ongoing emergency shelter and household kits distribution, based on the needs of flood-affected communities, as assessed by the Shelter and Non-food Items (S-NFI) Cluster.

IOM is also supporting the S-NFI Cluster Common Pipeline, in partnership with the Cluster, to pre-position emergency shelter and household kits, which will enable cluster partners to support 5,780 flood-affected families across Yemen.