Yemen is no stranger to policymakers and government chambers across the world. The country is facing a civil war, economic collapse and one of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis today. With over 20 million people in need of assistance, and after years of conflict, Yemen is in need of viable solutions to prevent a worsening situation. The World Food Program (WFP) estimates that around 16.2 million Yemenis are food insecure and pockets of famine have been on the rise. Additionally, there are “1.6 million people in the country are expected to fall into IPC 4 – ‘emergency’ levels of hunger, taking the total to 7.3 million by the end of the year
Additionally, there are over 4 million internally displaced Yemenis facing constant challenges like stable housing and health concerns. Meanwhile, over 4 million children are out of school (UNICEF) due to instability and extra responsibilities to support their families during these challenging times.
Yemen’s health sector remains almost non-existent since the start of the civil war in 2014. Roughly half of Yemen’s health facilities have closed its doors due to lack of operational support and resources. The remaining hospitals are operating at minimal capacity and are in need of support. Meanwhile, women and children have tremendously suffered due to medical shortages in public hospitals and clinics. Without adequate healthcare, citizens are at imminent risk of illness.
As the war in Yemen remains the largest threat to stability, Yemenis continue to face challenges in accessing basic necessities such as clean water. Around 19 million people are water insecure which is one of the main drivers of communal disease spread and poor hygiene conditions. Illnesses like Cholera and Acute Watery Diarrhea have been an ongoing danger to the health of Yemenis since 2014 (UNOCHA). More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread due to a deteriorated health sector. This is why, now more than ever, hygiene matters. Access to reach water is limited due to distance and financial burdens which prevent families from having clean water from water trucks. As a result, children have left their classrooms and have become responsible for fetching water by traveling long distances to wells for their families. Additionally, the increase of water prices has been almost impossible to purchase for the average citizen.
The ongoing conflict only continues to make the humanitarian crisis worse. However, there are various organizations specializing in supporting the Yemeni people with urgent and sustainable solutions.