The Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen Conference

The Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen Conference resumed its events


2/28/2016 |


Organized by QC in partnership with 13 regional and international organizations, the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen: Challenges and Prospects of Humanitarian Response Conference resumed its events. 

On its second day, the conference concentrated on discussing the following fields: water, sanitation, livelihoods, economic empowerment, shelter, security and joint coordination. On the first day, however, it discussed the current conditions of the sectors of education, health, food security, and shelter.

It is decided that during the high-level general session that will be held tomorrow, the results and outcomes of the workshops and the conference will be displayed. In addition, the initiatives will be inaugurated, the partnerships and alliances will be announced and the coordination between the field actors will begin.

During today’s workshops about water, sanitation and cleanliness sectors; the participants discussed the problems and challenges that face such sectors, and the available rehabilitation and amendment opportunities.

The workshops’ papers warned from the possible damage that would happen to the water networks in all the big cities if the fuel necessary for their operation was not available; or if the networks were not fixed nor rehabilitated. Those networks provide 25% of the Yemeni population with water. 

The workshop also discussed how the sanitation sector in urban areas is facing a greater challenge than that of the rural areas. However, the latter is suffering from permanent problems. Because of the malfunction of the sanitation sector, many diseases and plagues are currently spreading; it caused the shortage in water, sanitation and cleanliness services. Plus, diarrhea has spread, risks of cholera infection increased, more people were infected with scabies and enteric worms.

The workshops’ papers highlighted the work achievements in the fields of water, sanitation and cleanliness throughout the current crisis. One of which is the establishment of a joint fund for humanitarian finance in Yemen. It is 41.76% financed (i.e. 41,862,000 USD); however, there is a gap of 58.24% in the financing of the funds.

According to the figures announced during the workshop, 19,400,000 Yemenis need help; 9,800,000 of them have recently been added to the list because of the conflict.

The figures also show that 7,400,000 people need urgent help in the fields of water and sanitation at a budget of around 158,400,000 USD.

Supporting the fuel sector requires 21,300,000 USD (13%) so as to cover the needs of 4,400,000 people only. The water infrastructure requires 48,600,000 USD to cover the needs of 3,600,000 people (49%).

The economic empowerment and livelihoods workshop discussed the amount of destruction from which the empowerment sector suffered and the nature of challenges that sector is currently facing. In addition, it proposed some solutions to alleviate the sufferings of the beneficiaries.

The data showed that 1,800,000 job opportunities were lost because of the damage in the Social Fund for Development projects; and 71,000 others in the projects of public works. 

The figures also showed that 123 projects that belonged to the Social Fund for Development were destroyed and 52 others for public works. The Social Care Fund stopped offering aid to more than 1,500,000 poor people.

The workshop showed that 95% of the companies were shut down, while 77% of the companies of the private sector were entirely destroyed. More than 70% of the workers in that sector were terminated.

The expenses needed for the intervention in the livelihood sector reached more than 112,000,000 USD.

The participants emphasized the importance of allocating certain amounts of money to support the fishers and farmers. They also discussed the importance a comprehensive intervention for the benefit of all of the targeted groups (Money for education – money for food) as part of the humanitarian aid programs.

They also highlighted the importance of providing temporary job opportunities for employees and affected workers by involving them in humanitarian relief projects; mainly in their own societies by making use of their expertise and skills.

His Excellency Mr. Foad Al Muzan’i, the Ambassador and Advisor of the Secretary General of Humanitarian Affairs at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, headed the last workshop which discussed the coordination between the local and international organizations and the possible mechanism of improvement.

He said that Yemen has so many active organizations; however, they lack true coordination; that is why it is a waste of time and money. “This workshop discusses the ways we could follow to reinforce the field coordination and merge of local communities; and the ways to reinforce coordination between local and international organizations. I hope this conference is the beginning of joining efforts and succeeding in coordination between local and international organizations and the Yemeni government,” said he.

It is worth mentioning that the conference started yesterday. More than 90 humanitarian regional and international organizations in the fields of relief participated.

The conference seeks to unify the vision of the active partners about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. It also aspires to facilitate the exchange of information and to reinforce the follow-up mechanisms used to identifying the needs of the affected. The categorization of their needs would be based on the type of their needs and where they live. Finally, the conference seeks to improve the action plans and the initiatives bet

 

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