Conflict in Yemen

Young child in a displaced persons camp for people affected by the fighting. [Photo credit: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah, courtesy of alertnet.org]

A humanitarian crisis is deepening in northern Yemen where 150,000 displaced people are in need of urgent assistance.

The situation

Fighting between government forces and Houthi rebels in the north of the country has resulted in an estimated 100,000 people fleeing their homes and villages in the last month alone.

Blog: People living in limbo

So far an estimated 90,000 displaced civilians are facing extreme insecurity in and around Sa’ada city and aid agencies are largely unable to reach them with assistance at this time. However, 60,000 displaced people who rely on help from aid agencies like Oxfam are living in camps south of the frontline which are currently accessible.

Oxfam's response

Oxfam is helping to provide life-saving aid to many people affected who are living in accessible camps, with current plans to assist a total of 15,000 displaced men, women and children.

Camp in Haradh where Oxfam is supplying clean water. [Photo credit: Oxfam] Working with partners, we are helping people to recover by providing sanitation and hygiene services in internally displaced camps in the Hajjah and Amran governorate. This includes the distribution of hygiene kits, construction of basic latrines and hygiene promotion for hundreds of families inside the camp. We are also looking into helping displaced people who opted to stay outside camps with hosting families.

We have planned to supply 20,000 litres of clean water per day for displaced people in a newly established camp in Amran governorate, where the only source of water is about 30 kilometres away.

Update: 15 October 2009