In Yemen, the impacts of COVID-19 are exacerbating an already worsening food security situation. The impacts of conflict, deteriorating macroeconomic conditions, and reductions to humanitarian assistancein northern AA-controlled areas remain of greatest concern for food security, where millions of people already face food consumption gaps that risk human health in Yemen. Overall, access to income is expected to remain low through the remainder of 2020, driven by reductions in civil servant salary payments, reduced remittances, and declining demand for wage labor. At the same time, household food access will likely be increasingly constrained by rising food prices. In northern areas, where beneficiaries of humanitarian assistance are expected to continue receiving reduced levels of assistance, access to food is expected to be most severely constrained. Most western areas of Yemen are expected to be in Crisis (IPC Phase 3). Emergency (IPC Phase 4) outcomes are expected in Sa’ada, Hajjah, Amran, Al Mahwit, and Al Bayda. Overall, an estimated 17 to 19 million people are expected to be in need of humanitarian food assistance in 2020. While it is not the most likely scenario, Famine (IPC Phase 5) would be possible in the event that food supply is cut off for a prolonged period of time. Despite some local supply chain disruptions, available evidence indicates that COVID-19 movement restrictions have not meaningfully affected food availability or prices to date. Food price increases since the start of 2020 are mainly attributable to the effects of the depreciation of the currency.
Ansar Allah said Sunday that floods have swept through AA-held parts of the country since mid-July amid heavy seasonal rains, leaving more than 130 dead and damaging more than 260 homes. The AA-run Health Ministry said at least 124 others were injured by the flooding in parts of northern Yemen, including the capital city of Sana’a. More than 160,000 people were forced to leave their homes amid heavy flooding and rainfall in the provinces of Hajjah and Hodeida, according to security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
July saw the lowest imports of fuel ever recorded in the North. On 2nd of August the Yemen Petrol Company confirmed that a ship arrived in Hodeida port carrying 26,000 tons of gasoline, but 16 ships are still unable to disembark. The shortages of fuel are expected to continue to have wide-reaching impacts on the economy and the humanitarian response. An unconfirmed but large number of civilians, including children, were killed in air strikes in northern Yemen last Thursday, the United Nations said. Field reports indicate that as many as nine children were killed and seven children and two women were injured, OCHA said in a statement on Friday about strikes that hit al-Jawf governorate. This is the fourth such attack since June causing multiple civilian casualties. The U.N.’s Yemen envoy called for a transparent investigation into the incident. The health ministry for AA-held parts of Yemen said 9 children had died and 12 children and women had been injured in a number of strikes by aircraft of the Saudi-led coalition. Medical and civilian sources told Reuters a number of civilians had been killed by strikes in Jawf and transferred to hospitals. The Saudi-led coalition said on Thursday it shot down an explosive-laden drone heading towards Saudi Arabia. Cross-border attacks by AA forces have escalated since late May when a truce prompted by the coronavirus pandemic expired. In late June, missiles reached the Saudi capital Riyadh. The Coalition has retaliated with increasing airstrikes.
Egypt has emerged as a possible influencer in the ongoing efforts to broker a peace deal in Yemen. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held talks on July 27 with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on regional developments, including the situation in Yemen. Two days after the visit, Riyadh unveiled on July 29 a plan to accelerate the implementation of a power-sharing deal signed in Riyadh in November 2019 between the Yemeni government and the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC). The deal aims to end a long-running rivalry between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the STC, which is backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Impact of COVID in Yemen
There have been around 1,800 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Yemen, with 513 associated deaths. These numbers continue to represent significant underreporting of actual caseload and mortality. Many of the stats included in the snapshot, such as the number of oxygen cylinders provided, tests conducted and ICU bed capacity have remained unchanged for weeks.
The food security of some households is likely to be negatively affected by the direct impacts of COVID-19 infection, including through increased health costs and fewer household members able to work. However, the key impacts of COVID-19 on acute food insecurity will likely be more indirect, primarily through further reductions in income-earning.
Key trends in Yemen include:
- Over 40% of Yemenis interviewed have had a severe decline in their income during Covid-19 with many losing their income completely.
- Medical needs are less of a priority than food – 94% of the respondents cited food as their priority need.
- The cost of food, water, and other basic items continue to spike putting families under more pressure.
- With Covid-19 lockdown and other preventative measures, access to markets and availability of goods has fallen.
- Shelter is inadequate and eviction threats remain – 42% of households fear being evicted because they can no longer pay rent.
Humanitarian Advisors continue to monitor the challenging situation in Yemen.