Yemen - IOM has launched a US$ 84 million regional appeal to meet the immediate needs of populations affected by the conflict in Yemen over the next six months, both within Yemen and in the region, including Djibouti and Somalia.

The conflict that escalated on 26 March 2015 is now affecting 20 out of Yemen’s 22 governorates, has killed over 2,000 people and injured more than 7,500.  IOM surveys now indicate that over half a million people have been internally displaced, while thousands of others are trapped by the fighting, unable to flee to safety.

“The lives of many Yemenis and migrants have been torn apart and they are in desperate need of life-saving support, including clean water, shelter and sanitation,” said Nicoletta Giordano, IOM Yemen Chief of Mission.  

“IOM has over 400 staff working throughout Yemen. The needs here are immense and access remains extremely difficult. What happened yesterday in Haradh demonstrates how fragile the situation is, with vulnerable civilians being directly impacted by the ongoing conflict,” she added.

On Thursday 21 May, several migrants accommodated at IOM’s Migrant Reception Center in Haradh were killed and others severely injured as the bombing of nearby locations damaged the center; one of the IOM warehouses in the area was also damaged.

The IOM MRC medical team was dispatched to the affected area as soon as it was possible to take care of those in critical condition. Such tragic events illustrate the increasingly dire situation faced by civilians in Yemen and migrants in particular.

An estimated 250,000 refugees and one million migrants – mostly Somalis and  Ethiopians – are currently living in precarious conditions in camps, receptions centers or poverty stricken urban areas across Yemen.

With the regional appeal, IOM is seeking USD 32 million for the delivery of emergency humanitarian assistance to displaced populations, migrants and affected host communities in Yemen, in the areas of emergency shelter, camp management, health, protection and water and sanitation. Another USD 32 million is needed to continue evacuating migrants and third country nationals stranded in the country.

So far IOM has assisted 1,215 individuals from over 39 countries to leave Yemen through a series of humanitarian flights arranged from Sana'a since 12 April.

Another USD 4 million will help the most vulnerable among Yemenis stranded abroad, following the suspension on 26 March of all commercial flights to Yemen. Initial estimates indicate around 10,000 Yemeni nationals are currently stranded, with the majority located in Egypt, India and Jordan.  

The crisis in Yemen is also impacting the Horn of Africa. Since the escalation of the conflict, over 21,000 people have spontaneously crossed the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea and arrived in Somalia and Djibouti, often using unsafe vessels to undertake the perilous sea journey.

IOM’s Djibouti and Somalia teams are helping the authorities in both countries to manage the influx of arrivals, ensuring reception and transit assistance, and provide onward transportation as well as reintegration assistance. IOM is appealing for USD 16 million to cover assistance in the Horn of Africa region.

For additional information : IOM Appeal | Situation Report | Crisis Response Map

For more information, please contact IOM's Donor Relations Division (DRD), Email: drd@iom.int, Tel. +41227179111.