A child in Yemen paints a flower mural on the walls ofa destroyed school as part of the Flowers for Children campaign. (Photo credit:Albaraa Mansoor, Save the Children)
Now in its eighth year of conflict and war, Yemen is teetering on the edge of total socio-economic collapse. Approximately 21 million people (including 12.9 million children), almost three-quarters of the population, are in desperate need of assistance to survive. In addition to the violent conflict, multiple emergencies have made the situation almost insurmountable, including an economic blockade, collapse of its currency,natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic. Families in Yemen face daily challenges such as:
Displacement
Since the beginning of the war, nearly 6 million people have been uprooted from their homes, and 4 million remain displaced inside Yemen.
Poor Health and Dwindling Health Care
People’s immune systems were already severely weakened by years of war and deprivation. Now Yemenis must deal both with the aftermath of the pandemic as well as other preventable diseases such as cholera, diphtheria,measles and dengue fever – all in an environment with drastically reduced availability of health care. Fewer than half of all health facilities in Yemen are functioning, and many that do lack basic medicines, medical supplies and equipment.
Severe Food Insecurity
The current level of hunger in Yemen is unprecedented, and the risk of a large-scale famine is real. By January 2023, 19 million Yemenis are projected to be food insecure.
International Relief Teams is responding to this humanitarian crisis through partners on the ground that are delivering food and essential support to health care facilities across the country that are treating deadly disease outbreaks, including cholera and diphtheria.
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