Since establishing an office in Marib last year, IOM has reached more than 25,000 families with assistance, which includes health care, shelter, improving displacement sites, water, sanitation and hygiene, and protection services. An estimated 17,000 families have been impacted, many of whom had been displaced already and were living in makeshift shelters. When combined with the fact that displacement sites are overcrowded, this creates an extremely worrying situation given that hygiene and physical distancing are key to combatting the spread of COVID-19.Īdding to the hardship, Marib governorate was recently heavily affected by floods. Fewer than five per cent have regular access to a latrine. Of the families displaced since January, an estimated 70 per cent are in need of shelter support, as they are living in makeshift shelters, many families in one small tent, overcrowded and dangerous abandoned buildings. Displaced families are in dire need of safe shelter, clean water, sanitation and food support,” she added. “While IOM teams and partners are working hard to respond, they are facing an uphill struggle, given the amount of suffering. “For years, the host community has generously welcomed displaced families, despite increased pressure on public services, but should the fighting persist, we will see the needs in Marib rise to even more alarming levels,” said Rottensteiner. Today, the number of displaced people in the same area is believed to be even higher, given the recent combat and displacement. In 2018, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded some 800,000 displaced people living there-which at the time represented nearly a tripling of Marib’s pre-conflict population. And more areas would become unreachable for humanitarian organizations, meaning vulnerable communities would be left without even the most basic support.”.ĭisplacement to Marib governorate has been ongoing since the start of Yemen’s conflict. “We are hugely concerned about the devastating impact of heavy fighting getting closer to areas heavily populated with civilians - displaced people, locals and migrants,” said Christa Rottensteiner, IOM Yemen Chief of Mission.Īrriving with little-to-nothing, the vast majority of those being displaced today have no option but to shelter in extremely overcrowded settlements in Marib city and surrounding areas where they lack the most basic services needed to survive.Īdded IOM’s Christa Rottensteiner: “We hope that a peaceful resolution can be found soon to prevent a massive displacement crisis: hundreds of thousands of people could be forced to flee, many of whom would be running from this conflict for the second, third or even forth time. That’s over half of all conflict-related displacement in Yemen this year. Marib – Deadly fighting now is entering its tenth month in northeast Yemen, where more than 90,000 people have been displaced to and within Marib governorate since January.
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