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How Can International Engagement Address Yemen's Complex Emergency in 2024?

The 2024 Complex Emergency Fact Sheet underlines Yemen's serious issues, such as Red Sea tensions, Al Houthi attacks, food hardship, and evictions, highlighting the importance of continued international engagement.

Yemen's Complex Emergency
Yemen's Complex Emergency

Cover image: A map showing the expected severe food insecurity in Yemen during the period from February to May 2024. Expectations range from a state of crisis in the south and east to a state of emergency in the north and west.


Summary

Yemen's Complex Emergency Fact Sheet for Fiscal Year 2024

• Relief actors are implementing temporary mitigation measures to counter Red Sea tensions and Al Houthi attacks in Yemen.

• They are strengthening contingency planning activities to ensure the continued provision of humanitarian aid.

• Food insecurity in southern Yemen is projected to reach Crisis (IPC 3) or worse levels between June 2023 and January 2024.

• A temporary pause in food assistance in Al Houthi-controlled areas of northern Yemen is expected to widen food consumption gaps and increase households facing Emergency (IPC 4) or worse levels of acute food insecurity in seven governorates across Yemen between February and May 2024.

• Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Yemen are increasingly at risk of forced eviction from IDP sites and rented accommodations.

 

Relief actors are responding to the Red Sea tensions and Al Houthi attacks in Yemen by implementing temporary mitigation measures, such as minimizing non-essential staff movements in northern Yemen, according to the Complex Emergency Fact Sheet issued by USAID.


Additionally, Relief actors are strengthening contingency planning activities, including pre-positioning relief commodities, to ensure the continued provision of critical humanitarian aid in the event of increased access constraints and supply chain disruptions from further escalation of hostilities in the Red Sea and northern Yemen.


According to the report, The projected levels of food insecurity in Yemen indicate that approximately 3.9 million people in the Republic of Yemen Government (RoYG)-controlled southern Yemen are likely to face Crisis—IPC 3—or worse levels of acute food insecurity between June 2023 and January 2024.


Additionally, approximately 9.5 million people in Al Houthi-controlled areas of northern Yemen faced a temporary pause in food assistance, which is expected to widen food consumption gaps and increase the number of households facing Emergency—IPC 4—or worse levels of acute food insecurity in seven governorates across Yemen between February and May 2024.


The affected governorates include Amran, Hajjah, Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahwit, Sa’dah, and Ta’izz. These projections are based on the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) assessment and highlight the significant food insecurity challenges faced by the population in these areas.


Fact Sheet #3 for Fiscal Year 2024 provides a comprehensive overview of the complex emergency in Yemen as of February 2, 2024. including the Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Yemen who are increasingly at risk of forced eviction from IDP sites and rented accommodations by local authorities and landlords, heightening their exposure to protection violations and increasing shelter needs.


A joint analysis by the nongovernmental organization (NGO) ACAPS and the Protection Cluster recorded nearly 61,400 cases of eviction or eviction threats between January and October 2023, with forced eviction rates increasing by an estimated 10 percent in 2023 compared with 2022.


The analysis also highlighted that inadequate access to shelter solutions has prompted many IDPs to seek shelter in makeshift collective centers, such as schools, and on publicly and privately owned land without legal documentation of residence. Additionally, limited access to income-generating opportunities, loss of livelihoods, and reduced purchasing power due to Yemen’s deteriorating economy are exacerbating IDPs’ needs and hindering their ability to afford rent, further increasing their risk of eviction.


Furthermore, many IDPs lack access to civil documentation, which local authorities often confiscate during forced eviction, as well as legal and protection services. Older people, persons with disabilities, and women- and child-headed households remain particularly at risk of forced evictions due to a lack of legal protection.


In response to these challenges, USAID/BHA partners continue to provide critical assistance to support populations at risk of forced eviction. This includes camp management and shelter support, legal services, multipurpose cash assistance (MPCA), and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. These measures aim to address the immediate needs of IDPs and provide support to mitigate the risks associated with forced eviction, ensuring that vulnerable populations have access to essential services and protection.


The Complex Emergency Fact Sheet for Fiscal Year 2024 reveals the severe challenges faced by Yemen's people, including escalating tensions in the Red Sea, Al Houthi attacks, food insecurity, and the vulnerability of internally displaced persons (IDPs). The report highlights a rise in eviction cases, limited shelter solutions, economic challenges, and reduced purchasing power. USAID/BHA partners are providing critical assistance, including camp management, shelter support, legal services, and water, sanitation, and hygiene services. The report emphasizes the need for sustained international cooperation to address urgent humanitarian needs and protect vulnerable populations.


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