UN: More Than 333,000 Displaced in Yemen Since August, Taiz Tops the List with 140,000

The United Nations has warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen amid escalating displacement and increasing restrictions on the movement of goods and aid, calling for the protection of civilians and ensuring safe, sustainable, and unimpeded relief access to all parts of the country, including the city of Taiz.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Thursday that more than 333,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in Yemen since the beginning of last August, including over 24,000 in the past week alone, amid continued escalation and deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

According to the UN News website, the office clarified that Taiz governorate continues to host the largest number of displaced people, with more than 140,000, noting the ongoing movement restrictions in the city.

In this context, local authorities, according to the UN office, reported that a limited shipment of wheat flour, comprising only about 400 bags, was allowed to pass yesterday, Wednesday, indicating the continued restrictions on the flow of goods and supplies.

The website quoted UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq as saying that restrictions on access routes are negatively affecting the local economy. He noted that local authorities have reported disruptions in commercial transport, shortages of goods, and worsening market instability, coinciding with reports of local banks imposing restrictions on individual cash withdrawals.

On the health front, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that medical facilities in Yemen continue to be affected by violence, pointing to the destruction of the Al-Saqiyah health center in Lahj governorate by a ballistic missile on November 1st, which resulted in the death and injury of a number of health workers.

According to the UN report, the organization added that UN health partners reported, four days after the incident, that two health facilities in the city of Taiz were damaged, threatening the continuation of essential services for about 12,000 people.

According to the WHO, the escalation has resulted in the damage or destruction of 28 health facilities and seven ambulances, as well as the death or injury of 13 health workers since it began.

In terms of humanitarian response, the UN reported that its partners have been able to reach more than 255,000 displaced people, mostly women and children, and provide them with assistance in accessible areas.

The report stated that UN-supported partners provided drinking water and water storage containers for more than 6,200 people in the governorates of Taiz and Aden, and also delivered 11 trucks loaded with emergency medical supplies to meet hospital needs.

In Ma'rib governorate, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) supported the opening of a community center this week that provides health services, psychosocial support, as well as training programs and recreational activities for displaced children.

The UN reiterated its call for the protection of civilians and to ensure safe, sustainable, and unimpeded humanitarian access to all parts of Yemen, including the city of Taiz, amid ongoing humanitarian needs and a growing number of displaced people.

In a related context, the UN report announced that the UN Security Council is scheduled to vote on Thursday evening on the financial sanctions and travel ban measures related to Yemen, which expire on November 14, in addition to the mandate of the Panel of Experts on Yemen, which ends on December 15.

These measures are based on Security Council resolutions on Yemen, starting with Resolution 2140 of 2014.