Yemen: At the crossroads of an "humanitarian catastrophe"

Tribal clashes in northern Yemen have displaced some 52,000 people in the past three months. This figure adds to the 314,000 already displaced from Sa'ada governorate since February 2010. In the south, at least 1,800 people have been newly displaced in the last three weeks following an escalation of fighting in Abyan governorate, adding to the 150,000 people internally displaced since the beginning of May 2011. UNHCR and OCHA have raised further concerns over 120,000 people at risk of displacement as the fighting intensifies.

Conditions continue to be severe for displaced populations. An estimated ten per cent of IDPs have sought refuge in camps and ninety per cent within the host community, where coping strategies are becoming increasing strained. Shelter remains one of several considerable challenges. In Aden, 74 public schools shelter over 20,000 IDPs many of whom face the threat of cholera/diarrhea due to poor hygiene and inadequate water and sanitation facilities Further to this, WFP reveals alarming levels of severe hunger indicating that 45 percent of the Yemeni population do not have enough to eat. Oxfam has recently suggested that Yemen is at the crossroads of an "humanitarian catastrophe". Despite substantial recent increases, as of 19th March funding against the 2012 Response Plan for Yemen is only at 17 per cent with some sectors, such as education and protection, still standing at zero funding.