Mid-Year Review of the Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen 2012

2.CHANGES IN THE CONTEXT, HUMANITARIAN NEEDS, AND RESPONSE

2.1 CHANGES IN THE CONTEXT

The signing of the political agreement in November 2011 signalled a new period in Yemen’s history. However, humanitarian needs have continued to grow. Already one of the world’s poorest countries, the impact on rural Yemeni communities and on those displaced by conflict has increased drastically. As last year’s widespread civil unrest was brought to a halt, the country now faces a critical political transition and an urgent need to stabilize economic conditions. The food inflation rate alone stands at 12.26%, based on the 12-month moving average (WFP “Yemen market update,” April 2012). Existing poverty is compounded by economic hardships such as increasing cost of living and high unemployment.

Key drivers of need remain the same as stated in the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (YHRP) 2012, namely armed conflict and internal displacement; civil unrest and fragmentation of the country; reduction of basic social services; shrinking resilience and other coping mechanisms; rising cost of living and economic decline; and increasing refugee and migrant inflows. Political uncertainty and tribal clashes in the north and intensified armed conflict as well as refugee and migrant flows in the south are causing more frequent, localized new displacements. This is compounded by the collapse of basic social services.

In response to the increasing needs, humanitarian partners have strengthened their presence in Yemen. The level of international staff has increased by 55% (from 132 to 205 staff) and national staff by 38% (from 920 to 1,272 staff). However, security for humanitarian agencies and international personnel has deteriorated over the last three months. Security conditions throughout Yemen continue to impede the movement of international staff. Tensions between various armed groups and within the political arena exacerbate security concerns. Outbreaks of armed conflict are possible and gunfire incidents and localized conflict over land disputes are common. Threats of kidnapping and terrorist attacks are real and must be mitigated.

In light of the deterioration of the security situation humanitarian access remains uneven. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) will issue a quarterly humanitarian access report and the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) is developing a humanitarian access strategy. Despite the challenges, humanitarian organizations continue to access nearly all affected areas of the country through their national staff. Local organizations have access to nearly all parts of Yemen, while this is impossible for international staff. Significant access challenges remain, particularly in Abyan, Shabwah, Al Jawf and Sa’ada where needs are great. At the same time, inter-agency humanitarian negotiations continue with non-state actors, armed groups and tribal leaders in an effort to maintain access to those in need.

In the northern governorate of Sa’ada, access challenges have persisted for one year but negotiations with the de facto authorities are showing gains. An inter-agency assessment will be undertaken for the first time in early July. General monitoring and follow-up of protection-related issues in Sa’ada continue to be a challenge, although coordination progress has been made in strengthening the working relationship with the Al-Houthi administration.

Some clusters are in part co-chaired by the Government (Health, Nutrition, Education and Protection) and are currently undertaking greater investment in capacity-building of regional sub-clusters and district level planning and response (e.g. Nutrition Cluster) in Hudaydah. Advocacy on authorities' responsibilities and capacity-building, also at the local level, has been intensified. Despite the difficult social environment (massive poverty and high illiteracy rates), closer involvement of host communities and other vulnerable communities is vital for humanitarian planning and the implementation of programmes. Ongoing cluster activities include trainings for volunteers, health workers and teachers, community-based protection networks, and the strengthening of a protective environment for children.

Displacement has continued to increase following renewed conflict in north and south. Adequate shelter solutions for internally displaced people (IDPs) continue to prove elusive, bringing further protection challenges. Comprehensive verification data on protracted displacement will inform programming revision at the end of the second quarter of 2012. The dynamics of displacement are further showing increasing numbers of people seeking refuge in and around urban centres such as Taizz, Aden and Sana’a. This is in addition to the already high and still increasing numbers of asylum seekers, migrants and refugees arriving from the Horn of Africa. The continued trend of IDPs seeking shelter in schools is worrying, and undermines education support efforts.

Protracted displacement has changed in nature, but programming will only be adjusted when IDP verification results become available later in 2012. A majority of the families displaced during and before the sixth northern war in 2009 continues to live with host communities or in ad hoc makeshift settlements. The same applies also to new and already displaced people in the south. In Aden governorate, the situation for displaced people living in schools is yet to be resolved. Already-impoverished communities in rural and urban areas are made further vulnerable in a downward spiral of increasing needs and overly exploited coping mechanisms.

Protection concerns are on the rise. Because of the conflict, human rights violations continued, in particular grave violations against children. The number of children affected by mine or unexploded ordnance (UXO) incidents so far this year is already five times that of the whole year of 2011. There is further evidence of a continued trend of children being forced out of school into child marriage, child labour and association with fighting forces. The degree to which children are being recruited by armed groups and armed forces continues to be alarming particularly as conflict intensifies in the north and the south.

Access to basic services has decreased. The continued decline in government service delivery has also increased humanitarian needs for all social services. 300,000 children are unable to go to school due to conflict. Further reductions in access to primary healthcare (PHC) and clean water have caused outbreaks of polio, measles and acute water diarrhoea. Assessments have shown that in some areas large numbers of children under five suffer from acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) and 12.7 million Yemenis are without access to improved water.

HIV prevalence in Yemen is estimated at 0.2%, classifying the country as low-prevalence. However, HIV becomes more and more of an epidemic amongst key populations at higher risk, including men who have sex with men. Heterosexual transmission accounts for about 62% of the HIV cases, while about 7% of the new infections are attributed to homosexual transmission among men. By the end of December 2011, a total of 3,502, cases were reported. The estimated number of HIV cases in Yemen is 30,000² and there is high a level of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.

In response, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in coordination with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and other counterparts are designing HIV interventions through the YHRP to strengthen the protection of women and children and host communities in HIV/AIDS-affected communities. The interventions include prevention of and response to sexual violence and exploitation inside IDP camps, including post-exposure prophylaxis, access to condoms, universal precautions, sexually transmitted infection (STI) management, and protection and support to people living with HIV and their families.

Clusters have been identifying priority districts for the cluster response (see maps below). Within the mid-year review (MYR) process, clusters further agreed to prioritize districts where an inter-cluster response is most urgently needed, including food security, water and sanitation, malnutrition, protection of civilians, education and early recovery.