UN: $90m needed to assist internally displaced families in Yemen

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - Nearly $90 million is needed to assist and protect millions of internally displaced Yemenis, the UN refugee agency said on Tuesday.

After five years of war, the UN has described Yemen as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster.

The country has experienced the worst cholera outbreaks in modern history and is now facing the coronavirus pandemic.

"UNHCR is urgently seeking $89.4m [Dh328.3m] to secure life-saving protection and assistance to internally displaced families, refugees, and asylum-seekers and their hosting communities," the UN High Commission for Refugees said.

The conflict has killed more than 100,000 people and destroyed more than half of the country’s hospitals and clinics.

The UN estimates that more than 3.6 million people have been forced to flee their homes in Yemen since the start of the war.

The UNHCR says the funds are needed to ensure the continuation of its operations in Yemen for the internally displaced, refugees and asylum seekers of other nationalities.

Nearly one million of them are at risk of "losing their shelter, vital cash assistance for essentials like food and medicine, and much more", the agency said.

Financial assistance is needed to “keep the life saving aid programmes running”, it said.

Without the funds, 655,000 internally displaced people, and a refugee and asylum-seeking population of 281,000, would be left in dire need of food, medicine and shelter.

“For many refugees and displaced families, this is a matter of life and death,” the agency said.

Yemen is also facing an outbreak of coronavirus and the effects of recent torrential rain and flooding in places such as Aden, Abyan, Lahj, Marib, Sanaa and Amanat Al Asemah governorates.

The flooding has affected more than 100,000 people across the country and has damaged sites hosting internally displaced people and public infrastructure.