Yemen in critical need
As the world grapples with the effects of Coronavirus and a recorded 6.5 million cases reported around the world, Yemen is in a dire situation – they are facing 2 catastrophes at the same time.
Over 5 years of war has ravaged the poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula, resulting in 24 million people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, the country now has to contend with the spread of the coronavirus. Over 5.5 million Yemenis are at risk of losing access to life-saving aid, such as food, cash and clean water as coronavirus spreads in Yemen.
The health system, already straining under the pressure of the conflict with medical equipment, health supplies and infrastructure incapable of coping with the needs of the Yemeni population, the coronavirus will bring the system to its knees. It could reduce health services such as mobile clinics as well as the organisations’ ability to provide community water systems, threatening a spike in cholera and the fight against the spread of COVID-19.
With COVID-19 spreading rapidly in Yemen, the damage it is causing is significant.
The pandemic will push vulnerable communities closer to starvation when already 8.5 million people are having their food aid halved in the midst of lock downs and job losses.
Over 1.5 million families in Yemen depend on food assistance to survive, many of whom have already been impacted by the scale-down of the World Food Programme’s (WFP) monthly food distributions.
Ehsan from Sana’a in northern Yemen receives humanitarian aid such as food and water. He says: “I’m a disabled man and cannot work. I depend on the aid that I receive… If coronavirus doesn’t kill us, we will starve to death inside our houses. Millions of Yemenis will still need food aid if coronavirus hits Yemen.”
Please donate to our Yemen Emergency Appeal to provide life-saving aid to the people currently living in the worst humanitarian disaster.