Despite limited access, UNHCR delivers shelter and core relief items..
Briefing Notes, 3 July 2015
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards - to whom quoted text may be attributed - at the press briefing, on 3 July 2015, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
In Yemen, UNHCR is continuing to deliver humanitarian aid despite the severe restrictions on access to displaced populations. In May and June, we were able to get basic relief to 56,369 people and plastic sheeting for emergency shelters to a further 7,000 families who have been staying in
collective centres.
Aid has been going out across the eight governorates of Abyan, Aden, Amanat Alasimah, Amran, Hajjah, Hodeida, Sana'a and Taiz (details in the table below).
In all, 84,166 displaced people have received non-food aid since the start of April, about 70 percent of this coming directly from UNHCR and the rest from our partners.
The distributions have come amid a worsening situation in many governorates. Al Hazm, the capital of Al Jawf governorate in the country's north, was hit by airstrikes for three consecutive days in late June causing the evacuation of an estimated 900 families. Most of the residents of the
city's Al Matuma district have been seeking safety in Al Maton and Al Masloub districts.
Al Maton has been the first district in Al Jawf to receive displaced people from Sa'ada. At present there are an estimated 2,470 internally displaced families there along with an additional 1,400 families from Amran and other governorates.
The humanitarian response for these populations has been severely restricted due to ongoing fighting and the consequent problems with access. UNHCR is seeking to connect with its main operational partners who have networks in Al-Jawf, to provide additional help.
UNHCR continues to call for unfettered access and movements of humanitarian workers and its supplies so that vital assistance can reach those in need.
Currently there are over 1 million internally displaced people in Yemen (1,019,762), plus some 244,000 refugees. It's estimated that over 21 million people are in need throughout the country.
For more information on this topic, please contact:
* In Geneva, Adrian Edwards on mobile +41 79 557 9120
* In Geneva, Andreas Needham on mobile +41 79 217 3140