Yemen Complex Emergency

The ongoing civil war in Yemen has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, and the situation continues to deteriorate. In a nation of nearly 29 million, as many as 22 million need humanitarian assistance, according to the UN. Two million Yemenis have been displaced and at least 10,000 have died. Faced with ongoing conflict, collapsing basic services and economic decline, 16.4 million people require assistance to obtain healthcare, of whom 9.3 million are in acute need. Only 50 per cent of health facilities in affected areas are functional. An international blockade and reliance on imported medicine and medical supplies has made it difficult to treat the growing health needs and contain a cholera outbreak. More than 1.2 million suspected cases of cholera and 2,500 associated deaths have been reported with dramatic increases in the numbers in recent months.  Photo by REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah.  

In Yemen, Americares has provided six shipments of medicines and supplies to four partners since the early stages of the crisis, supporting health facilities and providers working on the front lines with aid.  The most recent shipment arrived in December after delays due to insecurity in the war torn region.  Another shipment of critical supplies is underway. While focusing on the urgent health needs in Yemen, Americares continues to respond to the Health and Hunger Crisis in the greater Horn of Africa region. Since April 2017, Americares has shipped aid to ten organizations providing critical health care services across Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia and Yemen.