By Jamie Cross | Emergency Programs Officer
Ongoing conflict in Yemen has caused the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen, “a higher percentage of people face death, hunger and disease [in Yemen] that in any other country”. In 2019, 80% of the population required some form of humanitarian assistance and 14 million people were in acute humanitarian need. In the Health and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene sectors, 197 million and 17.9 million people respectively were in need throughout the year.
The increasing instability has displaced 3.34 people, many of whom are sheltered in collective living sites which do not have adequate sanitation and clean water access. A cholera outbreak has been massively impacting this population since 2017, with 1.2 million cases reported.
The Family Emergency Kits each contain a water purification solution, hygiene items, oral rehydration salts, and a solar light.
Access to clean drinking water is critical for families in order to keep them healthy and stop the spread of cholera which has so negatively affected the Yemeni population. The delivery of hygiene items is also essential to protect families’ health, prevent the spread of disease, and provide a sense of dignity and normalcy for crisis-affected families.
Given that the country is facing an ongoing cholera outbreak, it was determined that oral rehydration salts (ORS) were necessary to include in the kits. Dehydration, especially in children, can be fatal and the ORS included in the Family Emergency Kits is an effective tool to treat the condition right away.
Solar lights were also included in the Family Emergency Kits. As a result of the conflict and damage to infrastructure power is unreliable in Yemen. Providing solar lights to families allows them to extend their days and also provides added security in IDP camps where the lack of light is often cited as major security concern.
With the support of our donors, GlobalMedic was able to distribute more than 8,200 Family Emergency Kits in 2019.
The funds raised through this campaign will help us send more aid in 2020 to those affected by the conflict in Yemen.
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