August 2021 — Page 4 of 14 — Human Rights & Charity

Amidst turmoil, displacement and plunging economy, Afghanistan’s future ‘very difficult…to see’

The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that one-in-three Afghans, or 14 million people, are hungry today and two million malnourished children urgently need treatment.

Meanwhile, since the beginning of the year, conflict and insecurity have driven more than 550,000 Afghans from their homes as some 70,000 displaced people have converged from across the country into the capital, Kabul.

And as the cost of sustenance has surged in recent months, WFP Regional Director John Aylieff pointed out that today, 14 million people in Afghanistan are struggling to put food on the table.

“The price of wheat has gone up by 25 per cent in the last months and, therefore, with the economic situation…and with the turmoil in which the country has been thrown, it is very difficult now to see the future for this population…a future which is food secure…without malnourished children”, he said.

WFP ‘really helps’

This month, WFP plans to reach almost 500,000 people in and around Mazar, the fourth-largest city of Afghanistan, with wheat flour, oil, lentils and salt

“There are no crops, no raining, no water and people are living in misery”, said Delawar, a 52-year-old Afghani, adding that WFP’s assistance is “a great mercy from God” that “really helps poor and needy people”.

However, as the UN agency is due to run out of wheat flour as early as October, it requires immediate funds upfront to support the millions depending on it to deliver food.

This is Afghanistan’s hour of greatest need and we need the international community to step up and support them, the WFP underscored.

Keep food operations flowing

As thousands of people try to leave from the Kabul airport, WFP reported that relatively few have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.

“We have plans in place to assist if they do cross land borders”, the UN agency said, noting that if donors want to avoid large refugee outflows, it is “imperative” that WFP’s food operations inside the country are not interrupted.

The UN agency described funding existing needs in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Tajikistan as most urgent, saying that it needs $200 million for Afghanistan and $22 million for the neighboring countries.

Grim picture

This year, 550,000 people have been displaced, adding to the 2.9 million who were already displaced inside the Afghanistan’s borders.
Some 40 per cent of the crops have been lost to drought in the second massive water shortage in three years – further heightening food insecurity.
The socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 are leaving essential food out of reach for many Afghan families.

Afghanistan women’s rights are ‘red line’, UN rights chief tells States

Speaking at the opening of an emergency session at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, a little over a week since the Taliban swept to power, Ms. Bachelet reminded Member States of credible reports of violations of international humanitarian law against civilians in areas under their control.

These reports, she said, make it especially important that the Human Rights Council work in unison to prevent further abuses, and that Member States establish a dedicated mechanism to monitor the fast-evolving situation in Afghanistan and, in particular, the Taliban’s implementation of its promises.

Summary justice

Ms. Bachelet added that “a fundamental red line will be the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls, and respect for their rights to liberty, freedom of movement, education, self-expression and employment, guided by international human rights norms. In particular, ensuring access to quality secondary education for girls will be an essential indicator of commitment to human rights.”

Among the reported violations received by her office, the UN rights chief cited summary executions of civilians and members of the Afghan national security forces, recruitment of child soldiers and repression of peaceful protest and expressions of dissent.

Echoing those concerns ahead of a vote on a draft resolution calling for investigations and accountability for rights abuses, Afghanistan’s Ambassador, Dr. Nasir Ahmad Andisha, described the prevailing sense of apprehension in the country, with “millions fearing for their lives”.

Dr. Andisha warned that a humanitarian crisis was “unfolding as we speak”, and that thousands people were at risk, from human rights defenders to journalists, academics, professionals, civil society members and former security personnel “who were the backbone – and we hope still will be – of a contemporary and democratic society”.

Speaking in person at the Council, Dr. Andisha reminded Member States that the situation on the ground remained uncertain: “We witness a high number of serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses which are documented and most of those gruesome videos are available online. While some Taliban were and are still talking differently, restrictions and violations are already taking place as we speak.”

Afghanistan ‘in its worst moment’

Anita Ramasastry, Chair of the Coordination Committee of UN Special Procedures, also noted that women and girls, and many internally displaced people, face particular risks

“Many of these persons are in hiding as the Taliban continues to search homes door-to-door”, she said, “and there are serious concerns that such information gathering may led to them being targeted for reprisals. Searches, arrests, harassment, and intimidation, as well as seizures of property and reprisals are already being reported.”

Warning that Afghanistan was now “in its worst moment” and in need of the support of the international community like never before, Shaharzad Akbar, Chairperson for the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, rounded on the emergency session’s draft resolution as a “travesty” that failed to far enough to defend those at risk in the country.

“We have documented that the Taliban advances came with summary executions, disappearances, restrictions on women, media and cultural life. This is not ancient history. This is earlier this month, and this is today,” she said.

“Women in Afghanistan are being turned down (sic) from their offices by the Taliban, universities have been asked to discuss gender segregation possibilities, women are required to be accompanied by male members of their family in public, media are not broadcasting music, journalists and activists are in hiding or in flee (sic), former members of the Afghan National Security Forces are scared of the worst, the summary executions, house-to-house searches and information gathering has led to widespread fear.”

National responsibility

For the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Pakistan Ambassador Khalil Hashmi reiterated the OIC’s commitment “to supporting an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process to reach an inclusive political settlement. The OIC underscores the imperative of active engagement by the international community along political, humanitarian, human rights and development tracks.”

For the United States, Uzra Zeya, Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, insisted that the protection of “civilians, including women and girls, academics, journalists, human rights defenders, and members of ethnic, religious, and other minority groups” must remain paramount. “We condemn attacks on them and those seeking to aid them, including UN staff and humanitarian aid providers. Such attacks must stop immediately, and all Afghan nationals and foreign nationals who wish to depart must be allowed to do so safely.”

Following the meeting, a draft resolution on Strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights in Afghanistan was adopted without a voite.

High blood pressure now more common in low and middle-income countries, new report finds

The study, which was co-led by Imperial College London, found that 82 per cent of all people with hypertension, around one billion, live in low and middle-income countries.

The researchers found that Canada, Peru and Switzerland had among the lowest prevalence of hypertension in the world in 2019, while some of the highest rates were seen in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Paraguay for women and Hungary, Paraguay and Poland for men.

A ‘public health failure’

Although it is straightforward to diagnose hypertension and relatively easy to treat the condition with low-cost drugs, the study revealed significant gaps in diagnosis and treatment. About 580 million people with hypertension were unaware of their condition because they were never diagnosed. The study also indicated that more than half of people with hypertension, or a total of 720 million people, were not receiving the treatment that they needed.

Men and women in Canada, Iceland and the Republic of Korea were most likely to receive medication to treat and control their hypertension, with more than 70 per cent of those with the condition receiving treatment in 2019. In comparison, men and women in sub-Saharan Africa, central, south and south-east Asia, and Pacific Island nations are the least likely to be receiving medication.

Professor Majid Ezzati, senior author of the study and Professor of Global Environmental Health at the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, said: “Nearly half a century after we started treating hypertension, which is easy to diagnose and treat with low-cost medicines, it is a public health failure that so many of the people with high blood pressure in the world are still not getting the treatment they need.”

The overall number of adults aged 30-79 years with hypertension has doubled from 650 million to 1.28 billion. However, this is primarily down to population growth and ageing, and the percentage of people who have hypertension has changed little since 1990.

What is hypertension?

Hypertension, also known as high or raised blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure
Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of the body in the vessels: each time the heart beats, it pumps blood into the vessels. Blood pressure is created by the force of blood pushing against the walls of blood vessels (arteries) as it is pumped by the heart. The higher the pressure, the harder the heart has to pump.
Hypertension is a serious medical condition and can increase the risk of heart, brain, kidney and other diseases. It is a major cause of premature death worldwide, with upwards of 1 in 4 men and 1 in 5 women – over a billion people – having the condition.
The burden of hypertension is felt disproportionately in low- and middle-income countries, where two thirds of cases are found, largely due to increased risk factors in those populations in recent decades.
The ”WHO Guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of hypertension in adults”, also released on Wednesday, provides new recommendations to help countries improve the management of hypertension.

Increased Syria violence prompts largest civilian displacements in a year, as gridlock stymies political talks

“We need a credible political process as well as more sustained international cooperation”, said Geir O. Pedersen, Special Envoy for Syria, as he drew attention to significant troop deployments, heavy shelling and ground clashes in Syria’s south-west, especially in Deraa governorate. “We repeat our calls on all parties to end the violence immediately…safe and unimpeded humanitarian access is needed to all affected areas and communities.”

Bridging the impasse

The Special Envoy said that tensions also remain high in the north-west, notably in Idlib, northern Latakia and Aleppo, as well as western Hama. Airstrikes and shelling have intensified in recent months, and the north-eastern areas of Raqqa and Hassakeh have seen violence involving non-State armed groups.

“These developments remind us that the conflict in Syria is far from over”, said Mr. Pedersen, “and that we a need a credible political process as well as more sustained international cooperation”.

On the political front, the Special Envoy said his Office is working to facilitate the convening of a sixth session of the Small Body of the Constitutional Committee. “The United Nations will do its utmost to facilitate implementation of all aspects of resolution 2585 (2021), which extends authorization of Bab al-Hawa border crossing and sends a message that key States – notably the Russian Federation and the United States – can cooperate beyond the humanitarian track”.

Increased risk of sexual exploitation and abuse

Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said the ongoing hostilities, economic crisis, water shortages and COVID-19 are driving humanitarian needs to their highest levels since the start of the conflict.

Citing reports that families are increasingly resorting to early marriage as a means to provide for their daughters, Mr. Griffiths said that, in June and July, the Office of the United Nations High

Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recorded 153 civilian deaths and 280 civilian injuries stemming from the hostilities.

Meanwhile, security problems persist at al Hol camp, with 69 murders reported since January. The extreme vulnerability and aid dependence of the residents there – numbering 59,000 in total, with one in five of them under the age of five – only increase the risks of sexual exploitation and abuse. “We must not abandon them to the violence and hopelessness of al Hol” he stressed.

He went on to detail recent violence in and around Darra, pointing out that the Darra National Hospital temporarily lost its dialysis unit due to mortar fire. Civilians remaining in Darra al-Balad face shortages of water electricity and cooking gas.

Job loss, high prices impacting food security

On the economic crisis, Mr. Griffiths said that United Nations assessments in July found that one third of households interviewed indicated difficulties in accessing markets – the highest level reported since April 2020.

One in five reported reduced access to medical care, with others reporting that income loss has negatively impacted their food security. High commodity prices forced families to reduce meals, with female-headed households particularly impacted.

In addition, the water crisis persists: levels of the Euphrates River flowing into Syria from Turkey have dropped to a “critically low point”, while low snow and rainfall also impacted water sources in the wider region. Over 5 million rely on the River for drinking water and electricity, as do hospitals and irrigation networks.

COVID-19 transmission on the rise

As for COVID-19, the senior UN official said that transmission rates remain high and likely far exceed official figures. Vaccinations are underway, with the first batch of 270,000 doses delivered through the World Health Organization’s (WHO) COVAX Facility already distributed.

By 23 August, 218,900 people were vaccinated in Government-controlled areas and the north-east, while 58,000 were vaccinated in the north-west. On 15 August, the second batch of COVAX vaccines arrived – about 138,000 for Government-controlled and the north-east, and 36,000 for the north-west.

However, these amounts cover less than 1 per cent of Syria’s population. “We need to speed up scale and pace,” he said.

Each month, the United Nations operation in Syria reaches 6.6 million around the country, however, “needs, of course, are outstripping the response,” Mr. Griffiths stressed, adding that he plans to visit Syria, Lebanon and Turkey to gain deeper understanding of the challenges.

Afghanistan: Negotiations to bring 500 tonnes of urgent medical supplies ongoing, says WHO

The items, which are stuck in Dubai, were due to enter the country this week but have been delayed as commercial flights are not being allowed into the international airport in the capital, Kabul.

Dr. Richard Brennan, WHO Regional Emergency Director based in Cairo, said the agency is exploring options, and hopes to have “some more encouraging details” in the coming days. “We are in negotiations with the Governments of three or four countries,” he told journalists, adding that he was not at liberty to name them.

“I think we will be able to secure flights to bring the supplies in, and in all likelihood into Kabul airport. And then of course there is the somewhat complex logistical operation of unloading the planes, making sure that trucks can come into the airport securely and safely, and depart safely and securely.”

Stocks running low

WHO, which has been in Afghanistan for seven decades, underlined its commitment to stay in the country, and to build on progress over the past 20 years, including in reducing maternal mortality and child mortality. However, its medical supplies are running low.

“Usually in every country we have emergency stock,” said Dr. Rana Hajjeh, Director of Programme Management at the Regional Office, speaking through an interpreter.

“In the current situation, we launched or released about 70 per cent of the emergency stock that we do have in the country. This stock would only be enough for one week, so we would need all kits, medical supplies, equipment more than ever.”

WHO recently conducted assessments to review the health situation on the ground. While most major health facilities are functional and accessible, across the country they are experiencing critical supply shortages, according to Dr. Dapeng Luo, the agency’s Representative in Afghanistan.

Dr. Luo underlined the urgent need for reproductive health services, mental health services, hygiene kits for newly displaced people, and nutritional supplements for children. “Our assessment reveals that service delivery is being supported by the Taliban health authorities without any pressure on health staff,” he said, speaking from Kabul.

“Health workers have been called to return to work or remain in their posts, including female health workers. However, some female health workers are not returning to their posts, and some have resigned from their positions due to the ongoing insecurity situation.”

Some female health workers have resigned from their positions due to the ongoing insecurity situation — Dr. Dapeng Luo, WHO Representative in Afghanistan

Pandemic and polio

Afghanistan has also experienced what Dr. Luo described as three substantial waves of COVID-19 infections, and WHO fears the current upheaval and displacement could spark an increase.

Nearly 160,000 cases of the disease, and more than 7,000 deaths, had been recorded as of Monday. Insecurity has also caused COVID-19 testing rates to decline, with a nearly 80 per cent drop last week when compared to the previous week.

With less than five per cent of Afghans vaccinated, roughly two million people, WHO and partners are working to scale up surveillance, testing and vaccination among displaced populations.

‘Staying and delivering’

Meanwhile, Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only countries which have not eradicated wild poliovirus. Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, underlined the need to act now, as there was one case in each country for the year so far.

“As the current events continue to unfold, WHO is fully committed to staying and delivering in Afghanistan,” he said, speaking on behalf of the agency’s nearly 700-strong staff, who are working in all 34 provinces.

“We now need the support of our donors and partners to count on us, to work with us and help us to save lives, promote health and help us to serve the vulnerable.”

First Person: Health workers in Afghanistan brave safety fears, to continue treating the sick

UN agencies have pledged to stay in the country, despite the recent takeover by the Taliban, and to support communities which even prior to recent events were in urgent need of aid.

Dr Khali Ahmadi* told UN News in an exclusive interview from the Afghan capital Kabul, that he and other healthcare workers are continuing to work despite the lack of security and ongoing instability in the country and called on the international community to carry on supporting Afghanistan.

“Some 8-10,000 people have arrived in Kabul from ten provinces in recent weeks following the advance of the Taliban, and I’m part of a team of doctors and nurses who are providing health care for these new arrivals.

These people fled their homes and now have nothing, no houses, no jobs and very little money and generally they are fearful of living in Kabul and angry that they had to leave their homes. We are providing a range of services to them in camps for displaced people in the city.

They are arriving with many different diseases and common complaints including diarrhoea and pneumonia. Around three quarters of the people we are treating are women and children.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is supporting this work and so we are able to provide treatment, medicines and food as well as some screening for COVID-19.

Today [Monday, 23 August] I was part of a team of six doctors including three women, who have been providing women-specific services and have helped to deliver a number of babies. We also have five nurses on the team. Our workday is very long and hard; I start at around 7am and can sometimes work until midnight which means, as a team, we can treat up to 500 people a day.

Sometimes, the security situation means I will stay at home. If there are reports of gunfire or other disturbances as well as roadblocks, the team members decide is too dangerous to work. It can be very tense on the streets. Sometimes, it is just the men who work.

My female colleagues are, of course, concerned about their future, as we all are. They don’t know what the future holds, whether they will be allowed to carry on working as they do now. We don’t know whether the situation will get worse for women, stay the same or maybe even improve.

We have not really interacted in a meaningful way with the Taliban since they entered Kabul, although they did come to the camp once where we were providing services to ask us what we were doing.
Security is the main concern right now for the displaced people, and also for other people in the city, but we are also worried about the lack of medicines and food, as shops and markets are still closed in Kabul.

I am a doctor, so my job is to help and heal people. I feel deeply committed to supporting Afghan people at this time, during this bad situation, but I can only help if I feel safe at work.

My message to the rest of the world is please help Afghanistan; this is a poor country, but the people here have good hearts, and I will continue to do my best to work for and protect all Afghan people.

Read more here about the health services UNDP is supporting for displaced people in Kabul.

*Real name withheld to protect identity

Refugee Paralympic Team ‘will change people’s lives’, says Bayern Munich player and UN Goodwill Ambassador

Mr. Davies reminded the six members of the Refugee Paralympic Team that even as they prepare to enter the global spotlight, they are not alone.

‘The world is behind you’

The team – five men and one woman – includes two athletes who were born in Syria: swimmer Ibrahim Al Hussein and Anas Al Khalifa, a canoeist. Alia Issa, the first woman to compete as a member of the team, was born in Greece to Syrian refugee parents. She will compete in club throw, a discipline for athletes not strong enough to hold a javelin, shot put or discus.

The other members are Parfait Hakizimana, a taekwondo fighter from Burundi; swimmer Abbas Karimi from Afghanistan, and Shahrad Nasajpour, a discus thrower born in Iran.

“Please know this: as you dive into the water, as you prepare to throw, as you step into the arena, know that you are not alone,” said Mr. Davies in a note published on Monday.

“The world is behind you, including 82 million displaced people, 12 million of whom are living with a disability.”

First-hand experience

Although he is a left-back for FC Bayern Munich, and Canada Men’s National Football Team, Mr. Davies knows first-hand what it means to be forced to flee your homeland.

He was born in a refugee camp in Ghana to Liberian parents who had escaped the country’s bloody civil war. The family resettled in Canada when he was five, and at 15, Mr. Davies began playing professional football. A year later he debuted on the men’s national team as the youngest player ever.

“Not everyone understands the journey you have been on. But I do and that’s an important part of what made me who I am,” he wrote.

“I’ve read your stories and learnt about the journeys you have all been through. You are the most courageous sports team in the world right now.”

Hard work pays off

The top athlete spoke of the difficulties refugees face, something which many people do not understand, such as being displaced during a global pandemic.

He also mentioned how tough it is to be alone, thousands of miles from family, when you need them most. And even tougher still if you have a disability.

“But although your path has been hard you’ve never given up,” he told the team. “You have found a way to not only practice sport but to perform at the highest levels. All those years of dreaming to be on the big stage, all those lung-busting sessions in the gym, that hard work and sheer determination has brought you to this moment, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.”

Power to inspire

Mr. Davies also highlighted something he understands about sports, namely the power it has to change lives. The Refugee Paralympic Team members are all role models now, he added, with the power to inspire others.

“Make no mistake, what you are about to do in Tokyo will change people’s lives,” he stated. “There are going to be young people who will take up sport because of you. There will be refugees who, through watching you succeed, will believe they can too. And you know what, those people are the next nurses, teachers and scientists. That’s change starting with sport.”

Mr. Davies vowed that he will be joining the rest of the world in watching the team as they lead out athletes from 160 nations during the opening ceremony for what he called the most important Paralympic Games in history.

“So, go out and do your thing. Do it like you’ve never done it before. Give it 100 per cent,” he said. “Don’t focus too much on the rewards and go out there with a smile on your face, knowing you worked hard to be there. That’s when you’ll be at your best. And welcome to the show – you belong here.”

Shelter needs soar for displaced in Yemen’s Marib region

Settlements hosting nearly 190 thousand people are now beyond capacity, and conditions are ‘deplorable’, UNHCR spokesperson Aikaterini Kitidi told a briefing in Geneva. Shelters are inadequate, and many have been further damaged by recent floods and fire incidents due to open-fire cooking, she added.

According to the UN agency, close to 24 thousand people have been uprooted by armed clashes, shelling, and airstrikes in Marib governorate since the beginning of the year. The region is already hosting a quarter of Yemen’s four million internally displaced people who have sought safety in urban centres and about 150 informal settlements.

Scores of displaced families have been forced to build their own accommodation using old blankets and plastic sheeting, due to scarce resources from humanitarian partners. Clean water, latrines, electricity, and health facilities are in short supply, said Ms. Kitidi, who added that 80 per cent of the displaced are women and children, who suffer the most from limited shelter options due to overcrowding, a lack of privacy, and limited access to basic services, such as toilets or water.

Threat of eviction

The spokesperson said that fear of eviction is also high amongst displaced people, with nine in 10 of the settlements built on private land and without occupancy agreements.

Eviction is also a key concern in urban centres as rental prices have soared after the recent wave of displacements, she said. 85 percent of displaced families are unable to pay rent on a regular basis as livelihood opportunities are scarce, and a quarter of those displaced in Marib have no source of income.

Further displacement, due to eviction, would only deplete their own resources and increase their needs, she added.

Vast majority cut off from aid

With only 21 per cent of residents currently reachable by aid organizations due to the prevailing insecurity, Ms Kitidi called on all parties to the conflict to ensure unimpeded access to the settlements to guarantee the safe delivery of life-saving assistance.

Her appeal follows that of the UN’s outgoing special envoy for the country, Martin Griffiths, who on Monday told the UN Security Council that roughly two-thirds of the war-ravaged country’s population – about 20 million people – rely on humanitarian aid for their day-to-day needs.

He said that ending Yemen’s ongoing famine is an overarching humanitarian priority, with roughly five million people “one step away from succumbing to famine and the diseases that go with it.”

UN secretary-general for the Middle East, Khaled Mohamed Khiari, also briefed the Council, raising the alarm over widespread fuel shortages that are worsening in Houthi-controlled territories.

UN migration agency launches $15 million appeal for Haiti

The funding will be used to help the Haitian authorities with housing, temporary shelter, mental health support and COVID-19 prevention in the aftermath of the disaster, which left 2,207 dead and more than 12,000 injured, according to official figures. Nearly 53,000 buildings collapsed, while another 77,000 were severely damaged.

“For the first months alone, we need at least $15 million to provide housing support, help affected Haitians return to their homes, and ensure they have essential means for subsistence,” said Federica Cecchet, IOM’s Deputy Head of Mission in Haiti.

Assessment and support

The 7.2-magnitude quake struck on 14 August, the latest crisis in a nation where nearly half the population, or 4.4 million people, were already finding it hard to get enough to eat. Days later, it was followed by Tropical Storm Grace which brought heavy rains, flash floods and landslides.

Just 48 hours after the quake hit, IOM had set up bases in each of the most affected areas. The agency now has additional hubs in the cities of Jérémie, Les Cayes and Miragoane.

IOM is using satellite imagery to analyze damage assessments and has distributed thousands of plastic sheets, hygiene kits, blankets, collapsible jerry cans, and kitchen sets so that affected families can maintain minimum living conditions. A team of engineers is also supporting structural assessment work in the affected municipalities.

Underlining that information management was also a priority, Ms. Cecchet said the appeal funds would also be used to generate timely and accurate information on displaced people in the departments of Sud, Grand’Anse and Nippes.

Prioritizing mental health

Meanwhile, an IOM team is tracking the movement and needs of affected populations and mapping conditions in shelters, in efforts to facilitate humanitarian programming, and prioritize tasks carried out by aid partners, such as beneficiary selection, logistics planning and identification of specific needs of those in vulnerable situations.

IOM also wants to provide mental health care and psychosocial support for families, with particular emphasis on women and girls. Psychologists trained in Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), will be available on-site, and IOM also will establish a dedicated toll-free hotline for those unable to receive or directly access assistance.

As insecurity has hampered aid delivery to some affected communities, the agency plans to implement what it called “locally driven, sustainable initiatives” to ensure support reaches those in most need.

Standing in solidarity

“IOM’s community stabilization approach stresses flexibility and responsiveness to evolving needs,” said Ms. Cecchet. “Cash for work has also proved effective during a crisis, laying the foundation for durable solutions and contributing to community stabilization,” she added.

This past Friday, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed concluded a two-day mission to Haiti, where she was struck by the “incredible resilience” of its people.

Ms. Mohammed also reiterated the UN’s support for the country, saying “We stand here in solidarity with Haiti and are in awe at the incredible work the national authorities and the UN agencies are doing to help in these difficult times.”

No end to Yemen civil war on the horizon, senior UN official briefs Security Council

“It is imperative to resume an inclusive, Yemeni-led political process to reach a negotiated solution to the conflict,” said Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, referring to a 2015 peace plan, which called for a nationwide ceasefire, the reopening of Sana’a airport, the easing of restrictions on fuel and goods flowing through Hudaydah port, and the resumption of face-to-face political negotiations.

Mr. Khiari said that the Houthis continue to make the opening of Hudaydah ports and Sana’a airport, as well as on the ending of what they call the “aggression and occupation”, conditions of their renewed participation in the political process.

Moreover, negotiations facilitated by Saudi Arabia on the Riyadh Agreement – which were focused on the return of the Prime Minister and other ministers to Aden – have yet to resume following the Eid break in July. Timely progress on the accord’s implementation remains vital to address the tensions in the south, he explained.

Fighting threatens main routes to Mar’ib

Meanwhile, military activity continues to ebb and flow, said Mr. Khiari, with sporadic fighting observed in Al Jawf and Taiz. Ma’rib remains the key strategic focus.

In Al Bayda, gains made by Yemeni forces supported by the Saudi-led coalition were reversed by the Houthis, who have moved towards the border between Ma’rib and Shabwa governorates, threatening the main arterial routes.

Mr. Khiari called on all parties to “completely and immediately” cease such attempts to achieve territorial gains by force.

Riyal at record low

On the economic front, he said the value of the riyal in Government-controlled areas reached a record low of 1,000 riyals to 1 United States dollar.

The Southern Transitional Council has threatened to enforce an independent local exchange rate in Aden and other areas under their control in southern Yemen, which would further complicate efforts to foster a cohesive economic recovery.

Calls to open Hudaydah port, allow entry of fuel supplies

Turning to the issue of fuel supply, Mr. Khiari said that only three commercial fuel vessels were given clearance to berth at Hudaydah port since July. Four fuel vessels remain in the coalition holding area, and all but one petrol station in Houthi-controlled governorates have reportedly closed. Cooking gas shortages have pushed wait times to one month for refilling empty cylinders.

“We reiterate our call on the Government of Yemen to urgently allow the entry of all essential commercial supplies – including fuel ships – to Hudaydah without delay,” he stressed, pressing all parties to prioritize civilian needs and abstain from “weaponizing the economy”.

Violence wreaks havoc on lives of children

Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), acknowledged that little has changed since her last briefing on the situation two years ago. “Each day, the violence and destruction wreak havoc on the lives of children and their families,” she stressed.

In 2021, 1.6 million children have been internally displaced due to violence, she said, notably in Hudaydah and Ma’rib, while essential health, sanitation and education services are “incredibly fragile” and “on the brink of total collapse”.

Gross domestic product (GDP), meanwhile, dropped 40 per cent since 2015, she continued – a major concern, as one quarter of the population – including many doctors, teachers and sanitation workers – rely on civil servant salaries, which are paid erratically, if at all.

One child dies every 10 minutes, 2 million out of school

Ms. Fore said almost 21 million – including 11.3 million children – need humanitarian assistance to survive. Some 2.3 million children are acutely malnourished and 400,000 children under age five suffer from severe acute malnutrition.

“In Yemen, one child dies every 10 minutes from preventable causes, including malnutrition and vaccine-preventable diseases,” she stressed.

Two million children are out of school and one in six schools can no longer be used. Two-thirds of teachers – over 170,000 of them – have not received a regular salary for four years, due to the conflict, placing 4 million additional children at risk of dropping out, as unpaid teachers quit to find other ways of providing for their families.

Being a child in Yemen is ‘the stuff of nightmares’

The UNICEF chief said that she and her colleagues are deeply worried that the numbers do not adequately reveal what children in Yemen experience, from watching parents struggle to fight off starvation, to being killed by a bullet, explosion or landmine, recruited to join the war or forced into marriage.

Having experienced or witnessed horrific violence, children will carry physical and emotional scars for their entire lives: “Being a child in Yemen is the stuff of nightmares”.

UNICEF is making efforts on every level, she continued, including providing access to clean water and sanitation, along with health, nutrition, protection and education services. The agency is responding to COVID-19 vaccine needs and providing cash transfers to 1.5 million households every quarter.

Ms. Fore called on parties – and the Council itself – to place children first, stressing that UNICEF needs sustained humanitarian access to people in need, no matter where they are.

“We must reopen the port of Hudaydah to commercial imports and fuel,” she stressed. “Millions could be plunged into famine if vital imports remain restricted.”

‘War overshadows everything’

“War overshadows everything,” said Martin Griffiths, briefing the Council for the first time in his capacity as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

The offensive in Ma’rib province, and clashes along nearly 50 other front lines have reportedly killed or injured more than 1,200  civilians, as collapsing public services deprive people of clean water, sanitation, education and health care, and cholera and COVID-19 spread freely under such conditions.

5 million ‘one step away’ from famine

With 20 million in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, a decimated economy is pushing the country to the brink, he said: five million people are one step away from succumbing to famine and the diseases that go with it, while 10 million more are right behind them.

“Famine is not just a food problem, it’s a symptom of a much deeper collapse,” he warned. People are starving not because there is no food, but because they cannot afford it.

Mr. Griffiths said that incomes are disappearing, especially salaries for civil servants, who represent a quarter of the population: the collapsed Yemeni currency is particularly disastrous for a country so heavily dependent on imports.

The Under-Secretary-General called for an end to profiteering and the implementation of a definitive ceasefire, which would give desperate civilians a break and create the space needed to address the drivers of the crisis.