Emergency Food Delivered in Yemen

Islamic Relief is working on the ground in Yemen, to deliver lifesaving aid to families caught up in the violence that is sweeping the country. By the end of May, we will have reached 200,000 people – but many more still need help.

Hundreds of people are thought to have lost their lives, and thousands more have been injured amidst conflict in Yemen. The fighting has triggered widespread displacement and deepened an already grave humanitarian crisis within the country. Many millions of people were food-insecure and without access to safe drinking water, sanitation, or basic healthcare.

Critical conditions

With severe disruptions to supplies getting into the country, which depends heavily on food imports, concerns about malnutrition are more acute than ever. The cost of food and essential supplies in local markets has skyrocketed, whilst some basic items are no longer available. Many people have been unable to earn a living.

Fuel supplies are running short, making transportation – including for aid organisations such as Islamic Relief – a major challenge. Without fuel, homes have been cut off from water supplies and Yemenis are reporting near-total power blackouts. There are fears that all telecommunication in the country may become impossible in the coming days.

Islamic Relief is on the ground

Islamic Relief has been helping vulnerable people in Yemen since 1998, and has remained on the ground throughout the fighting. Our emergency operations have already assisted 100,000 vulnerable individuals in Sanaa, Aden, Taiz, Lahj, Amran, Hodeida, and Dhammar.

By the end of May, we plan to have reached 200,000 people affected by conflict. In Harad, Islamic Relief is managing the Mazraq camps which are temporary home to 12,000 displaced Yemenis – ensuring that their food and other basic needs are met.

So far, some 100,000 people have benefitted from Islamic Relief food parcels being distributed in eight cities and areas. Designed to last an average family around one month, the packs contain essential staples such as rice, cooking oil and beans. We are also helping the World Food Programme (WFP) to reach 20,000 displaced people in Sana’a, Amran, Albayda, and Sa’ada.

In Raymah governorate, in central Yemen, over 2,000 families access to water once more since Islamic Relief repaired eight water sources which do not rely on fuel. We have also provided Aden hospitals with trauma kits including basic but essential items such as antibiotics, bandages and pain relief medicines.

Islamic Relief is coordinating with other humanitarian actors on the ground in Yemen, including the UN, to make sure that aid is delivered as effectively and efficiently as possible.