By Fazeena Saleem
DOHA: A special conference on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen that began in Doha yesterday estimated that about $2.5 bn is required to support urgent relief work in the conflict-torn country.
The three-day conference organised by Qatar Charity in partnership with 13 regional and international organisations seeks a joint plan action on relief work in six main sectors including health and shelter.
The conference titled ‘The Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen: Challenges and Prospects for Humanitarian Response’ has brought together more than 90 regional and international humanitarian organisations and 150 relief experts. It focus on six main areas as education, health, water and sanitation, livelihoods and economic empowerment, shelter and food security.
The findings of a survey conducted by QC on the humanitarian situation in Yemen were unveiled at the conference. The study has estimated over $2.45bn financial aid required for relief work in six sectors. It was conducted in 14 provinces of Yemen according to UN and World Bank survey standards.
The report has estimated required interventions as over $46.5m for water and sanitation, over $46.5m for health, over $790.7m for education, over $112.3m for livelihood, over $179.3m for shelter and displaced and over $1bn for food security and to address malnutrition.
“The conference aims to unite the visions of partners about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, as well as the exchange of information and ways to promote the follow-up mechanisms for determining the needs of those affected and the distribution of geographic areas in order to develop action plans and initiatives among the partners,” said Abdullah Alwailly representing the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, in his opening remarks.
“We also aim for a Joint plan to address humanitarian needs in all area and coordination, a follow up mechanism and to launch a range of humanitarian initiatives in all sectors,” he added.
“Partners behind the conference shows how significant it is. We are reviewing and discussing six sectors about the present situation, challenges and how collectively we can make a difference and agree on a road map forward,” Ramadan Assi, Director of Global Strategy International Medical Corps told this newspaper.
Referring to challenges in the health sector, he said, “Our biggest issue is the insecurity factor, and many facilities are not available, many equipment are not functioning. Also the very challenging factor is lack of staff and health personnel,” he added.
Abdul Raqeeb Fatah, Yemeni Minister of Local Administration and Head of High Relief Committee, stressed that the conference is, for the first time, establishing a clear and scientific relief database in Yemen based on scientific and field standards.
He said such conferences are a real step towards achieving coordination between all partners through King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid, Qatar Charity, the Red Crescent organisations in the GCC states and other humanitarian organisations and institutions.
“We look forward to seeing 2016 stage of relief work free of errors that usually occur during crises. We hope it would be based on coordination and evaluation as two complimentary and consecutive processes,” he added.
More than 12 million people were affected by the conflict directly, a million people were forced to migrate, and over 42,000 people fled.
Victims of conflict include civilians, women and children, but the death toll is of a large proportion of adult males, resulting in the loss of male breadwinners in the families.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in collaboration with humanitarian partners, specified an action plan for rapid response, and developed a plan for humanitarian response in Yemen that met the most vulnerable needs of the population.
Experts at the conference will also focus on sharing information about the humanitarian needs and resources, security and logistical challenges, looking at ways of ensuring greater involvement of the Yemeni local civil society in response and recovery activities and launching humanitarian initiatives to respond to the identified priority needs.
The Peninsula
