Yemen’s Humanitarian Crisis Exacerbated By War   · Global Voices
Noon Arabia

Over the past three decades Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East, has suffered from chronic underdevelopment and a socio-economic crisis. Over 60 per cent of Yemen's total population (25 million) are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, with children and women mostly affected.
The precarious humanitarian situation was exacerbated further in the four years of political instability following the revolution in 2011, which ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Long before the war broke out on March 25, the United Nations and International organisations have been warning of the looming humanitarian crisis.
UNICEF requests US$60.1 million to meet the humanitarian needs of #Yemen‘s most vulnerable children in 2015. Check http://t.co/Wi62XVDnRc
— UNICEF Yemen (@UNICEF_Yemen) February 19, 2015
Yemen's population is one of the most malnourished in the world. Here's how we're helping: http://t.co/WGJ8OKf4iM pic.twitter.com/KAeguwq7Ee
Hunger #fact: More than 10 million or 41% of #Yemen’s population is food insecure http://t.co/ipWzayKlFb pic.twitter.com/OQMHHOuW5c
— World Food Programme (@WFP) March 28, 2015
— Mercy Corps (@mercycorps) February 24, 2015
#YEMEN: More than 800,000 children under the age of 5 are suffering from acute malnutrition http://t.co/SIy4SOlc9v pic.twitter.com/E7kPwo0Zul
— CARE Press Team (UK) (@carepressuk) February 25, 2015
Instability in #Yemen pushes poor people deeper into malnutrition and despair. @CARE continues to help http://t.co/VPyQWZZdCI via @reliefweb
Hunger #fact: More than 10 million or 41% of #Yemen’s population is food insecure http://t.co/ipWzayKlFb pic.twitter.com/OQMHHOuW5c
— World Food Programme (@WFP) March 28, 2015
— SandraBulling (@SandraBulling1) February 26, 2015
#Yemen: 61% of population need some form of #humanitarian assistance in 2015 – revised appeal http://t.co/BFt4uG6iiS pic.twitter.com/k3keAYiIsc
— ReliefWeb (@reliefweb) March 5, 2015
Distribution of conflict & humanitarian needs across #Yemen. via OCHA http://t.co/4ChITHo23y | http://t.co/vn1J3DaAc2 pic.twitter.com/AirFe3OR6C
— UNICEF Yemen (@UNICEF_Yemen) March 11, 2015
#Yemen teeters on brink of civil war – #humanitarian challenges deepen http://t.co/6y1Qz5ZM5s pic.twitter.com/azyMtMXgp0
— IRIN News (@irinnews) March 25, 2015
The dire humanitarian situation worsened with the conflict between ousted President Saleh-backed Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition backed by the US, Gulf states, Egypt and Turkey. While the coalition airstrikes mainly targeted military camps and weapon depots (some of which are in residential areas), it also targeted airports in Sana'a, Aden, Hodeida and Sada'a.
On Monday, Al Marzaq camp, an Internally Displaced People's (IDP) camp, was reportedly struck by the Saudi led coalition strikes, killing at least 40 internal refugees and injuring 200. Yemen's UN Humanitarian coordinator Johannes Van Der Klaauw deplored the attack in a statement and called on all parties to respect International Humanitarian Law. According to UNICEF, at least 62 children have been killed and 30 injured during fighting in Yemen over the past week.
At least 62 children have been killed & 30 injured during fighting in #Yemen this past week http://t.co/aupdrY11Pl @UNICEFmedia
— UNICEF (@UNICEF) March 31, 2015
Meanwhile, Saleh-backed troops and Houthi militias have been advancing in Southern Yemen, brutally attacking civilians and aggressively bombarding residential buildings. Southern cities have been ravaged for weeks, which has only worsened the humanitarian situation. Doctors without Borders/Medecins San Frontieres (MSF) reported receiving more than 550 patients since March 19, as a result of clashes in Aden, Lahj, and other areas in the south. On March 26 alone, 111 patients arrived at the hospital.
Hussain Al-Yafi and Yemen Updates following the situation in Southern Yemen tweeted:
This is not Homs! This is not Gaza! This is Aden! This is Houthi bombardment on residential neighborhoods! #yemen pic.twitter.com/ciqUnK4mWe
— Hussain Al-Yafai (@crazyyafai) April 2, 2015
Horror everywhere in #Aden as Houthi/Saleh forces use tanks to target southern combatants. Bloody street fighting in Khor Maksar now. #Yemen
— Yemen Updates (@yemen_updates) April 1, 2015
Amnesty International in a statement accused the coalition of turning a blind eye to civilian deaths and suffering.
After several days of often intense bombardment in several areas across Yemen, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the Saudi Arabian-led coalition is turning a blind eye to civilian deaths and suffering caused by its military intervention
Under International Humanitarian Law, it is forbidden to launch attacks that might lead to incidental losses among civilians or cause the destruction of civilian objects that would be disproportionate to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.
Amid the no-fly zone imposed on Yemen by the Arab coalition, international organizations called for the urgent removal of obstacles to enable them to deliver medical supplies and trained health personnel urgently needed in Yemen.
#Yemen: we're calling for urgent removal of obstacles in the delivery of medical supplies as heavy conflict persists http://t.co/VX3EzZoT1T
— ICRC (@ICRC) March 31, 2015
Extremely difficult, dangerous 4 @msf_yemen to evaluate needs in #Yemen bc of fighting, air strikes. Respect 4 #humanitarian access critical
— Doctors w/o Borders (@MSF_USA) April 2, 2015
Conflict in #Yemen kills and injures hundreds, places major strain on health system http://t.co/9FpfbERir2 pic.twitter.com/skvEszAdMX
— WHO (@WHO) April 2, 2015
Due to the no-fly zone, many Yemenis have been stranded in countries across the world, which prompted Yemeni netizens such as Khaled al-Hammadi to launch the hashtag #Stranded_Yemenis.
1000s of #Stranded_Yemenis across the region are in need for urgent help.. #GCC busy with war but forget humanitarian issue #يمنيون_عالقون
— Khaled al-Hammadi (@KhaledHammadi) March 29, 2015
Many people in Yemen don't have access to clean water, and are struggling to feed themselves and lack proper infrastructure, basic health care and education. Yemen's young generation have witnessed many wars in their short lives and are tired of its horrors and humanitarian toll. They launched a hashtag saying “enough” to war #KefayaWar to all sides of the conflict.
Ammar Al-Aulaqi addressed them all in a tweet:
Kefaya means “enough”. Yemenis are speaking to all: Coalition #Decisive_Storm, Houthis, Saleh, Iran , Hadi everyone! #KefayaWar #Yemen
— Ammar Al-Aulaqi (@ammar82) March 31, 2015
Ruba Aleryani highlighted Yemen's difficult condition:
#KefayaWar because nearly 43% of Yemenis are already food insecure and 60% live in poverty #yemen #OpDecisiveStorm
— Ruba A. (@raleryan) March 31, 2015
Other Yemeni activists and journalists highlighted the humanitarian plight and hardship Yemen is facing from this war.
Hisham Al-Omeisy added:
Aprox Half #Yemen pop food insecure BEFORE current conflict. Now sealed in & held hostage, whole nation will soon face humanitarian crisis.
— Hisham Al-Omeisy (@omeisy) March 31, 2015
Yemen updates commented:
The humanitarian crisis in #Yemen has just been manifested in various forms: sudden shortage in fuel, flour & wheat in #Sanaa & elsewhere.
— Yemen Updates (@yemen_updates) April 1, 2015
Amel Ahmed tweeted:
90% of #Yemen‘s wheat /100% of rice imported. Humanitarian aid is blocked. Pple will starve. This is a war against Yemeni people. h/t @lga2
— Amel Ahmed (@amelscript) April 1, 2015
Some Arab and foreign journalists have been also voicing their concern.
Journalist Mohammed Jamjoom, formerly covering Yemen for CNN, tweeted his sadness:
Depressed not just about the situation in #Yemen but also how little coverage suffering of Yemenis & the humanitarian crisis there receives
— Mohammed Jamjoom (@MIJamjoom) March 31, 2015
Louisa Loveluck added:
UN says Yemen is nearing ‘total collapse’ as humanitarian crisis mounts and country cut off from aid deliveries: http://t.co/x7WhW0ukF5
— Louisa Loveluck (@leloveluck) April 1, 2015
Global Voices has covered Yemen's humanitarian crisis over the years:
Yet the humanitarian aspect of the war doesn't seem to matter to nor make headlines in mainstream media. IRIN warned that the humanitarian situation will only become severe due to the conflict.
The humanitarian situation in #Yemen is dire, a civil war will only deepen an already acute crisis — @adammbaron http://t.co/6y1Qz5ZM5s
— IRIN News (@irinnews) March 25, 2015
In summary, the humanitarian crisis that international organisations have been warning about over the past years has just been exacerbated over the past week of war in Yemen and will continue to do so. The question now is, what will the world do about it and when?