Human Appeal, a humanitarian aid organisation based in Cheadle, have announced they are pledging $1million to help with the humanitarian response plan to the conflict that has ravaged Yemen.
Mohammed Alsousi, Human Appeal’s Director of Programmes, made the pledge at an aid summit in Geneva, which has brought together governments and aid organisations in an attempt to support, what the UN has described as, “the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.”
Further to their continued work in Yemen, Human Appeal have also announced that they will be providing emergency assistance to hospitalised children and their mothers at Al Jumhori Public Hospital in Sana’a. Human Appeal will also supply medicines, materials to conduct medical assessments and hygiene and nutritional supplies to the hospital. Human Appeal also plan to conduct light renovation and maintenance of the hospital building.
Othman Moqbel, Human Appeal’s CEO, said “This commitment of $1,000,000 to the aid response, as well as our work helping in a hospital that is struggling to operate, shows that as Human Appeal grows into becoming one of the world’s leading humanitarian aid organisations, our determination to save lives grows with us.
“The Al Jumhori Public Hospital is struggling to cope with the huge number of patients from the ongoing conflict, a severe lack of financial resources and lack of proper hygiene practices and supplies. Our work here will support the food and medical assistance we have already provided across Yemen, since the conflict began in 2015. Human Appeal are planning to expand its activities and operations in different sectors such as WASH, food security, Health and Nutrition. We are hoping to reach the most vulnerable and conflict-affected people.”
Othman Moqbel, the CEO of Greater Manchester based Human Appeal, said: “The crisis in Yemen has been forgotten about or ignored completely. We believe this is because that the conflict has not generated a huge amount of refugees coming to Europe and there is the misperception amongst the public that it’s only a regional crisis. To treat what is currently happening in Yemen, and has been happening for two years, as something insignificant is turning a blind eye to the escalating humanitarian emergency.
Over the past two years, 44,000 people have been killed or injured and more than 3 million have been displaced because of the conflict. This equates to 75 deaths or injuries every day. The UN estimate 18.8 million people are in need of humanitarian aid or protection out of a total population of 27.4 million.
“Food insecurity is high with an estimated 14 million people affected, about the same amount need safe drinking water and basic healthcare as only 45 per cent of health facilities are functioning.
“An estimated 1,000 children are dying every week from preventable diseases like diarrhoea, malnutrition and respiratory tract infections. Even before the war tens of thousands of Yemeni children were dying of preventable causes. According to the Ministry of Health, health services are collapsing and public hospitals are not able to provide sufficient care due to lack of financial resources and an increasing number of people in need due to the ongoing conflict. Some eight million children are in need of basic healthcare.”
Humanitarian access remains a significant issue in light of security and bureaucratic obstacles. There is weak coverage of mobile companies making telecommunications difficult as a result of the destruction of telecommunication facilities through the conflict. Further, a number of proscribed organisations operate in Yemen so access is also impeded on this front.
On 10th March 2017 the UNHCR reported that intensified hostilities across western and central Yemen have forced more than 62,000 people from their homes within the last six weeks. Most of the displaced are in dire need of assistance and have found shelter in communal and public spaces, including schools and health facilities, whilst others are living in unfinished buildings or out in the open.
Mr Moqbel commented further, “The crisis in Yemen has however been severe long before 2015 when the situation escalated. Years of poverty, under development and conflict had already taken their toll with the Yemeni people being some of the most vulnerable in the world. The high numbers of internally displaced people (approx. 2.2 million), female headed households and children are disproportionately affected by the situation.”
