Three years ago, Sultan Ahmed started to hear the sounds of battles near his village. Some neighbors fled their homes to safer areas, but he insisted on staying in his home. “It was difficult to leave my home, so I didn’t flee even if we heard the sounds of battles,” says the father of five children, who is now in his 50s. Sultan used to be a daily worker on farms and building homes in his village. But when the battles reached his town last week, he decided to flee. “Five days ago, the conflict reached our village and started to attack our homes, so I took my family and fled this camp, where there are some people I know.” Sultan arrived at Al-Hadad camp in Marib, where around 340 families live in a makeshift camp. His family slept outdoors for the first two days, until other displaced families helped him set up a tent from those poles. The Norwegian Refugee Council is on the ground in Marib. NRC distributed essential items like mattresses and blankets to over 1300 families, and Sultan was one of them. Text: Nasser Abdulkareem/NRC Photo: Muath Kadam/NRC
When the conflict reached Sultan Ahmed's village, he and his family fled to Al-Hadad camp in Marib, where around 340 families live in a makeshift camp. His family slept outdoors for the first two days, until other displaced families helped him set up a tent. Photo: Muath Kadam/NRC

Yemen: Marib’s civilians are under attack and cut off from life-saving aid

Published 02. Nov 2021|Updated 01. Nov 2021
Yemen
October has been the bloodiest month in years in Marib, with more than 100 civilians, including children, killed or injured.

The Norwegian Refugee Council’s Country Director in Yemen, Erin Hutchinson, said:

“Some of Yemen’s most vulnerable civilians in Marib are now cut off from life-saving assistance while also being under attack. The numbers of civilian casualties in Marib, including children, is at a record high.

“In these dramatic moments we appeal to all sides to ensure that humanitarian aid can reach families in dire need, including around 1 million Yemenis who moved there from other parts of the country hoping to find safety. Many of them are living in overcrowded sites that almost completely lack clean water, toilets and health facilities.

"Our staff can reach only a small portion of those in need in Marib, and what we provide is just a drop in the ocean compared to the staggering needs.

“We call on all parties to spare civilians and ensure that we can keep reaching them with life-saving aid. We also call on the international community to provide the promised funding to keep Yemenis alive in this hour of need.”

 

Notes to editors:

  • B-Roll and photos from Marib can be downloaded for free use and distribution from the links.
  • Yemen is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. 4 million people are displaced right now across Yemen and two-thirds of the population need assistance.
  • NRC has been working in Yemen since 2012 and currently has 320 staff, including in Marib.
  • Civilian casualties reported in Marib during the first six months of 2021 were at a record high, with some 170 injuries and deaths – that is more than the 151 recorded throughout 2019 and 2020 combined.
  • October was recorded as the deadliest month for civilians, with at least 100 people killed or injured, including children, during shelling and missile attacks.
  • There are an estimated 1 million people displaced in Marib from other parts of Yemen.

For more information, please contact:

Jasmin Lavoie, Media Coordinator in Yemen, jasmin.lavoie@nrc.no, +967 73 600 3397 / Whatsapp : + 1514 632 2805

Karl Schembri, Regional Media Adviser in Nairobi, karl.schembri@nrc.no, +254 741 664 562

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