- More than 17.3 million people are suffering the worst humanitarian disaster and are in dire need of life-saving humanitarian assistance and protection services in all governorates of the Republic of Yemen, whose population have been suffering enormous losses and difficult living conditions for more than seven years.
- The War Coalition countries, led by the US, KSA and UAE, have left indelible hideous scars that affected every aspect of life in Yemen. This can be realized in markets, roads, schools, courts, hospitals and civilian homes.
- On April 4th, 2022, the UN Security Council welcomed the announcement of a two-month truce and called on all parties to seize the opportunity provided by the truce and work with the UN Special Envoy to make progress towards a comprehensive ceasefire and an inclusive political settlement. However, they did not refer to any international mechanism for implementing this truce, which entered into force on 2 April 2022, coinciding with the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. In fact, many of its provisions have not been yet implemented by the Saudi-led War Coalition in full view of the United Nations and its Envoy to Yemen, as well as its organizations and agencies operating in Yemen.
- As part of the implementation process, the UN-declared truce confirmed a permit for the entry of 18 ships loaded with oil derivatives within two months, which is the agreed time period. Accordingly, the so-called Riyadh government agreed to allow entry of three fuel ships, namely Sands, Coronet and Sea Adore on April 4th, 2022 into the port of Hodeidah. Again, on April 15th, 2022 that government agreed to permit entry of other two fuel ships – Sea Heart and Daytona. On April 19th, 2022, that government announced also its approval to allow entry of one fuel ship, MT Harvest, into the port of Hodeidah, based on the terms of the truce. However, the War Coalition countries detained these ships, preventing them from docking at Hodeidah port and forcing them to go to the port of Yanbu in Saudi Arabia.
- Since the agreement entered into force, the Saudi-led War Coalition have not abided by provisions stipulated in the truce agreement signed with the National Salvation Government, which includes operating flights to and from Sana’a International Airport, with two flights per week via Yemeni airlines.
- The United Nations stated that, “over 23 million people – or almost three quarters of Yemen’s population – now need assistance. That is an increase of almost three million people from 2021. Nearly 13 million people are already facing acute levels of need.” The Yemeni people are experiencing untold suffering and further disruption of public services, pushing humanitarian needs higher. The UN indicated that millions of people are projected to require food assistance in the second half of the year, with the most extreme hunger looming for 161,000 of them. Still more, “children continue to suffer horribly, with 2.2 million acutely malnourished, including more than half a million at severe levels. Limited access to critical services continues to worsen the conditions of the most vulnerable groups, including women and children.
- In a statement, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) noted that, “Amidst the events of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the war on Yemen has become a forgotten war. Despite warnings that the humanitarian situation in the country has collapsed this year more than ever, the Ukraine war further pours fuel to the fire of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. IOM report further added that, “As if the war and starvation that threatens the lives of millions of Yemenis are not enough; then the Ukraine war came to add insult to injury. As a result, the already high prices of fuel and basic commodities have skyrocketed.” Accordingly they wondered, “How do the repercussions of the Ukrainian crisis affect the Yemenis on their daily lives?”
- Global trade data show that Yemen imports more than 38% of wheat from Russia and Ukraine. During the period from 2010 to 2020, wheat imports in Yemen amounted to more than 32 million tons, with 30% from Russia and 8% from Ukraine. Meanwhile, the import rate of wheat and flour amounts to 95% of the country’s needs annually, estimated at 3.8 million tons. A report issued by the Studies and Economic Media Center (SEMC) warns that the repercussions of the war in Ukraine will worsen the already-dire humanitarian crisis in Yemen, as the wheat prices began to rise “by up to 35% since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, although the war is still in its infancy.” Not only prices of wheat that have skyrocketed, but also other basic commodities have been affected. Some of them are affected due to rise in fuel prices, which cast a shadow on transportation fares, while other commodities are affected by the Ukrainian crisis.
- Generally, the population of Yemen does not suffer only from water scarcity but also from the inability to get access to it. In fact, the main source of water in Yemen is wells and summer rain, and the war has doubled the suffering of obtaining it. Accordingly, access to pure drinking water has become one of the many concerns of Yemenis. As a result of water shortage, residents are forced to buy water, or rely on philanthropists who distribute drinking water in containers in the streets of cities.
- In the midst of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, the war on Yemen has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties and pushed nearly 80% of the population to rely on humanitarian relief, according to UN reports. This ongoing tragedy has also caused the displacement of more than 6.1 million people. Unfortunately, the children of Yemen are the most vulnerable group, which has been affected by the war and its repercussions directly and indirectly. In this regard, UNICEF has estimated that the number of malnourished children in Yemen may reach 2.4 million.
- The Ministry of Public Health and Population indicates that the Saudi-led War Coalition’s repudiation of the truce commitment and implementation is tantamount to a crime that has humanitarian repercussions. As a result, 12 patients among those who were registered to travel for life-saving treatment abroad died. Besides, there are more than 30,000 incurable disease cases that urgently need to travel abroad for life-saving treatment. The Ministry confirmed that the health sector needs to modernize medical equipment and introduce some new materials and medical supplies, but the Saudi-led War Coalition countries have prevented their entry.
- Diabetes specialists revealed a dramatic increase in the number of diabetic patients amidst the aggression and the blockade, and that is mainly due to the effects of the imposed blockade. In fact, the War Coalition countries, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with direct US support, deliberately bombed residential areas.
