Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan 2016
Nearly a year of brutal and complex factional conflict in Yemen has taken a severe toll on civilians. Already mired in a humanitarian crisis when violence escalated in mid-March 2015, Yemen now counts 21.2 million people in need of some form of humanitarian assistance, including: 14.4 million people unable to meet their food needs (of whom 7.6 million are severely food insecure), 19.4 million who lack clean water and sanitation (of whom 9.8 million lost access to water due to conflict), 14.1 million without adequate health care, and at least 2.7 million who have fled their homes within Yemen or to neighbouring countries.
With no camps for internally displaced people (IDPs), displacement has led to a dispersed population that is difficult to assess for vulnerability or specific needs. Many IDPs live with host families – placing additional strain on scarce resources. Displacement and hosting IDPs are significant drivers of food, water and other basic needs assistance – particularly shelter, healthcare, education and essential household items.
Verified reports of human rights violations by all parties have soared, with an average of 41 reports daily as of January 2016. From January to November 2015, there were 747 verified incidents of children being killed and 1120 cases of their being maimed. There are an estimated 2 million acutely malnourished children and pregnant or lactating women in need of treatment, and an additional 1 million children requiring preventive services. About 320 000 children are currently suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
Health Sector Situation
As of November 2015, almost 600 health facilities had closed due to damage, shortages of critical supplies or lack of health workers, including nearly 220 facilities providing treatment for acute malnutrition. Other health facilities are operating at much reduced capacity for the same reasons.
Medical supplies for mass casualty management and essential medicine for chronic diseases are in increasingly short supply. Girls and women – especially pregnant women and women in rural areas – are particularly disadvantaged by a lack of female health service providers. More than 520 000 pregnant women lack access to reproductive health services.
As of late January 2016, health facilities had reported more than 35 000 casualties linked to the conflict, including more than 6100 deaths since mid-March 2015 – an average of 113 casualties per day. Many are believed to be civilians. Casualty estimates understate true figures as they rely on health facility data, and many people face extreme difficulty accessing health facilities. Although the operational plan retains a strong focus on mass casualty management, the main emphasis has shifted to support availability of life-saving essential health care in affected areas, including maintenance of the supply chain. This shift reflects the accelerating collapse of health services across Yemen.
Global activities include environmental health, procurement and distribution of basic medicine and supplies, immunization, vector control, and reproductive and maternal health services through fixed facilities, mobile units and community outreach. Wherever needed and feasible, HIV/AIDS concerns will be incorporated into activities, including provision of minimum HIV services in an emergency setting. Partners are also maintaining support for basic disease surveillance and information management so as to rapidly contain potential public health risks or outbreaks.
Health Cluster Objectives
Objective 1: Ensure availability of a range of integrated primary health-care services in priority districts.
- 10 546 101 people targeted benefiting from the procurement and distribution of medicines and supplies for primary, secondary health-care activities, and the maintenance of an uninterrupted supply chain management system.
- 7 082 356 children vaccinated through increased coverage of routine immunization.
- 608 472 trauma kits procured and distributed.
- 600 mobile health units and outreach services made operational, providing reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, including antenatal, delivery and postnatal care for mothers; routine immunization, screening and treatment.
- 3 106 916 people supported with reproductive health services, including emergency obstetric and sexual and gender-based violence care.
Objective 2: Improve information management, planning, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of all programmes.
- 50 NGO partners supported to fill gaps in health cluster activities, including assessments and reproductive health working group support, and monitoring and evaluation support.
Objective 3: Rehabilitate health services and build capacity to strengthen resilience and early recovery.
- 750 health facilities receiving basic repairs or being upgraded and provided with equipment and supplies.
- Identification of the risk of different types of outbreak-prone diseases prevalent in the affected area pre-event; surveillance system (re)established for early detection and response to disease outbreaks in all locations including those hosting displaced populations.
Beneficiaries targeted by health partners in 2016
Health partners are targeting 10.6 million people including 6.9 million migrants and refugees.
Geographical areas targeted by health partners in 2016
Activities are primarily prioritized in the most conflict-affected governorates: Abyan, Aden, Al Bayda, Al Dhale’e, Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Amanat Al Asimah, Amran, Hajjah, Lahj, Marib, Sana’a, Shabwah, Sa’ada and Taizz.
Partners are committed to field-based implementation that will see humanitarian staff safely deployed to field locations as close as possible to people with the most immediate needs. Active field presence has grown considerably since June 2015. In 2016, partners will continue working to establish operational field hubs to facilitate implementation and monitoring of activities. As of January 2016, four hubs (Sana’a, Hudaydah, Sa’ada and Ibb) were already functioning. In areas where a permanent field presence may prove more difficult due to insecurity or other constraints, partners will rely on established networks of trusted local partners and long experience – even before the current crisis – of effective remote management.
Health Cluster funding requirements for 2016
US$ 182 300 000 (health partners including WHO)
WHO funding requirements for 2016
WHO is appealing for a total of US$ 120 000 000
Cholera outbreak – WHO and partners urgently require US$ 22.35 million to save lives and reduce suffering