Shabwa – On 20 July 2017, IOM, the UN Migration Agency team in Shabwa, a governorate in the south of Yemen, reported a displacement of 130 families (780 individuals) who had to abandon their houses, losing all their belongings, caused by the severe floods in the area.

Due to its prepositioning strategy, IOM was able to initiate an immediate coordination process with local authorities in the affected areas and assessed the needs and locations of the displaced population. This meant that in a single day, IOM organized the distribution of non-food items and temporary shelters to the affected families.

“It is a relief to see these families who have lost everything in one day, receiving basic support from the humanitarian community, especially when we know how much they have already suffered from the war and now from the cholera outbreak,” said Laurent de Boeck, the Chief of Mission of IOM in Yemen.

Each family received several mattresses, blankets, sleeping mats, kitchen sets, jerry cans, water buckets, pickaxes, saws, sisal ropes, hammers and plastic sheets. The items were distributed to the affected populations in close coordination with the local authorities in the governorate.

On 27 July, the IOM team in Al Jawf governorate reported similar flood-caused displacement. IOM is currently coordinating a response with the cluster partners and local authorities in the governorate.

Meanwhile, IOM shelter and non-food items (NFI) support has been extended to 191,860 conflict and disaster displaced population since the start of the conflict in 26 March 2015. This support has been provided across the entire country, namely the governorates of Aden, Abyan, Lahj, Hadhramaut, Shabwa, Al Dhale’e, Sa’ada, Hajja, Al Jawf, Taizz, Al Hodiedah, Al Maharah and Socotra.

IOM Yemen Flood Emergency Response is funded by the Humanitarian Pooled Fund (HPF). IOM is seeking additional funding to expand its operations to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable affected populations in Yemen.

For further information, please contact Saba Malme, IOM Sana’a, Tel: + 967 736 800 329, Email: smalme@iom.int. Or Ammar Alfakih, Tel: +967 739 633 930, Email: aalfakih@iom.int.