Highlights

2022 in review

Migrants in Yemen need access to lifesaving assistance and protection

OCHA’s mission to Sa’dah: Conflict affected people and migrants need urgent support

Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF) allocates US$30 million for protection and lifesaving services

2022 IN REVIEW

The humanitarian situation in Yemen remained bleak over the course of 2022. After more than eight years of conflict, millions of people continue suffering from the compounded effects of armed violence, ongoing economic crisis and disrupted public services. The impacts of climate emergencies, inflation, increased food and fuel prices, widespread threats of explosive remnants of war (ERW), as well as bureaucratic impediments and humanitarian access restrictions were among the key drivers of needs in 2022.

The six-month UN-brokered truce (2 April – 2 October 2022) saw decreased civilian casualties and displacement (by 76 per cent), with no airstrikes or major military operations, and facilitated greater freedom of movement and increased flow of fuel imports, as well as enhanced humanitarian access in some areas.

However, low-level clashes continued in frontline areas throughout the truce and ERW, including landmines, have had devastating impacts for civilians as movements increased. The truce has since expired and a peace agreement remains elusive, although major military offensives have not yet resumed three months after the expiry of the formal truce agreement.

Internal displacement crisis lingers on, with an estimated 4.5 million people internally displaced since 2015—placing Yemen as the sixth largest internal displacement crisis globally. Between January and September 2022, as per Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) tracking, almost 235,000 people had newly been displaced due to conflict across 173 districts, concentrated in Al Hodeidah, Al Jawf, Marib and Ta’iz governorates. More than three quarters of all displaced persons in Yemen are women and children and at least 26 per cent of displaced households are female-headed.

Throughout 2022, the Yemeni economy continued to weaken, affected by macroeconomic instability, the de facto separation of economic institutions and issuance of competing monetary policies, import restrictions, increased costs of food and other essential items, and the impact of natural disasters. The war in Ukraine triggered a global rise in commodity prices, heightening threats to the already dire socioeconomic situation and food access. Coupled with the collapse of basic services and public institutions, the economic situation has further eroded the resilience of people in Yemen. Following the announcement of the truce in April, the exchange rate made a short recovery before continuing to worsen. The Yemeni Rial (YER) in areas under the Government of Yemen’s (GoY) control, while continuing to fluctuate, has lost approximately 22 per cent of its value since mid-April. Although the YER largely remained stable in Ansar Allah (AA)-controlled areas at an average of YER 560 to the USD, prices have increased at a similar rate to those in GoY-held areas, largely due to global increases in food and fuel prices and restrictions on imports through ports in AA-controlled areas.

High levels of food insecurity persist.

Primarily an issue of affordability, rather than availability, food insecurity and malnutrition in Yemen are predominantly driven by the primary and secondary impacts of conflict and deteriorating macroeconomic conditions, which decrease household purchasing power. Despite relative improvement in food security in the last quarter of 2022—owing largely to the truce, better than expected agricultural conditions and additional donor funding received in the second half of 2022, which enabled agencies to upsurge scaled-down rations—an estimated 17 million people faced crisis or worse acute food insecurity between October and December 2022.

Yemen remains vulnerable to disease outbreaks, including vaccine-preventable diseases. Almost a third of the population under the age of one is missing routine vaccinations. More than 80 per cent of the country’s population struggles to access basic services, such as food, drinking water and health care. Less than half of health facilities are functioning and many that remain operational lack basic equipment. Water infrastructure is operating at less than five per cent efficiency.

During 2022, Yemen experienced two successive extreme weather events, swinging from severe drought conditions to heavy rainfall and flooding, causing displacement, damages to public and civilian infrastructure, and affecting the delivery of essential services. Between July and September 2022, more than 517,000 people were affected by torrential rains and flooding, including over 160,000 new and secondary temporary displacements, with Hajjah and Al Hodeidah governorates receiving almost 60 per cent of the total number of people displaced.

The operating environment in Yemen remains extremely challenging, with more than 3,500 humanitarian access related incidents recorded in 2022. In AA-controlled areas, the bureaucratic impediments continued to delay and hinder the delivery of principled humanitarian assistance. Particularly, in GoY-controlled areas, security incidents increased throughout 2022, including carjackings, kidnappings, and violence against humanitarian personnel—14 kidnappings and 13 detentions were reported by partners during the year 2022. Interference in the implementation of humanitarian activities by the authorities in Yemen is a major challenge and is frequently reported by partners, with 255 incidents in 2022. The imposition of strict mahram requirements, primarily under the AA-controlled areas is very concerning. These restrictions have 3 wide-ranging and unacceptable operational impacts. An estimated 10.1 million— approximately 49 per cent—of the people in need across Yemen are living in areas affected by access constraints.

In 2022, humanitarian operations in Yemen experienced a substantial funding drop.

By the end of the year, the Humanitarian Response Plan was only funded 54.6 per cent, leaving a gap of $1.94 billion, affecting the delivery of humanitarian assistance and resulting in a decrease in emergency food assistance. Despite critical funding shortfalls and a challenging operating environment, 200 humanitarian organizations continued to deliver aid to an average of 10.7 million people per month in 2022.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs