Quote from Ali Al Hajori, in Hajjah:
“Conditions here are becoming worse. People aren’t only arriving from Hodeidah now, but from areas in the north too. They come in the heat and dust with everything they can carry, but it usually isn’t enough for them to survive beyond a few days. We are stretching the aid we have to reach as many people as possible but it will never compensate for what they lose by leaving their homes.”
Quote from Isaac Ooko, NRC’s Area Manager in Hodeidah:
“People are living in pathetic conditions, not fit for humans and completely untenable for those who are most vulnerable. I am incredibly proud of our teams for fronting up each day to make it possible for people to live with dignity in a situation that otherwise strips it from them. What might appear to be a pause to the outside world, doesn’t feel the same for those of us seeing what it means for people here.”
Latest updates:
- The situation in Hodeidah City is calm, but tense, as diplomatic talks continue between warring parties, with heavy clashes ongoing in districts south of the city. Airstrikes, mortar fire, missiles and shelling continue to kill, injure and threaten the safety of civilian populations, particularly in At Tuhayat and Zabid districts.
- NRC’s staff inside Hodeidah city have described it as a “ghost town”, where the bulk of shops and restaurants have been closed by proprietors fleeing the city. Through the course of the week, residents of Hodeidah city heard low-flying jets and heavy airstrikes on the outskirts of the city.
- UNOCHA reports that 35,000 households have now been displaced since the Hodeidah offensive officially began on 13 June.
- In Hajjah, where thousands of people have fled to safety, NRC’s teams are seeing steady flows of people arrive from Hodeidah in anticipation of a resumption in fighting.
- NRC’s teams in Hajjah are trying to provide basic materials to the steady flow of IDPs arriving from both Hodeidah in the south, and Sa’ada in the north. Arriving IDPs are identifying heavy airstrikes as the major factor in their decision to flee.
- Two of the three seaports in the Hodeidah port complex remain open and receiving small quantities of food and fuel. As of 19 July, Hodeidah had received an estimated 16% and 40% of the fuel and food required to meet needs through July.
- The latest reports indicate that while inflation on food, fuel and other basic items remains exceptionally high across Yemen, prices have not risen dramatically over the last month, with notable exception to hygiene and sanitation items. The price of women’s sanitary items has risen by more than 15% since May, creating major challenges for women in already challenging circumstances, many of whom are without access to clean water.
- Yemen’s Protection Cluster reported severe damage to the main water tanks in Al Tuhayet district earlier this month, leaving close to 100,000 people without safe water and at heightened risk of communicable diseases.
- NRC’s staff in Hodeidah are continuing to carry out our usual cholera prevention programs, focused on ensuring people have access to safe water and hygiene material.
Facts:
- Some 3.3 million people live in Hodeidah governorate, and 600,000 live in Hodeidah city.
- Some 29.3 million people live in Yemen.
- About 2.7 million people need humanitarian assistance across the country.
- Some 162,000 suspected cases of cholera have been identified in Hodeidah since April 2017, equating to 15 per cent of Yemen’s total cholera caseload.
Photos taken in Hodeidah since the offensive available to download: https://nrc.smugmug.com/Country-Programmes/Yemen/2018/n-t8GLjK/Hodeidah-offensive
For interviews or more information, please contact:
NRC's media hotline, info@nrc.no, +4790562329