Yemen - Emergency Water Sanitation Hygiene and Livelihoods Assistance - Mercy Corps 2018-19

May 2018 - Yemen is currently the world’s largest humanitarian crisis according to the United Nations with 22.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance including 11.3 million that require immediate life-saving assistance. Sixty percent of the population (17.8 million people) is food insecure with 8.4 million people on the brink of famine. Malnutrition has soared by over 65% in 2017 and an estimated 400 000 children under five years of age are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. More than 3 million people have been displaced and basic service provision is collapsing. Yemen is currently facing a diphtheria outbreak with over 1 500 suspected cases and could face another wave of cholera with the beginning of its rainy season in April. In 2017 it was afflicted by one of the largest cholera outbreaks ever recorded with over 1 million suspected cases and 2 200 deaths reported. Many health facilities have been destroyed or have stopped functioning. Humanitarian access remains a significant challenge. With GAC’s multi-year support Mercy Corps is providing emergency water sanitation hygiene and livelihoods support to up to 329 400 of the most vulnerable conflict-affected people particularly women in the Lahj and Al Dhale governorates of Yemen. Project activities include: (1) rehabilitating critical water and sanitation systems and infrastructure; (2) promoting hygiene awareness in affected communities; and (3) providing cash assistance to vulnerable households to meet their basic needs.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to safe water and gender-sensitive sanitation facilities and hygiene practices; and (2) increased access to financial resources through conditional and unconditional cash transfers destined to meet life-saving needs. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crisis or that are facing acute food insecurity.