The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced a new reduction in the volume of humanitarian aid provided to those in need and the internally displaced in Yemen for the current year, 2024. The reduction, which will affect tens of thousands of Yemenis, is attributed to what has been described as a funding shortfall.
A report from the commission explained that the significant funding gap would weaken its efforts in providing life-saving protection to approximately 16.4 million people in the country, including refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons. It noted that the severe protection and displacement challenges in Yemen rank it among the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The UNHCR only managed to secure about 8% of the total $354.4 million needed for humanitarian interventions, which was intended to ensure the provision of life-saving aid to millions of displaced individuals in the country.
The reduction will affect various programs including a 25% cut in multi-purpose cash assistance and shelter programs. Additionally, support for livelihoods, initiatives for spontaneous voluntary return, and integration activities will also be impacted, further increasing the pressure on the social and economic welfare of both refugees and internally displaced persons in Yemen.
According to the commission’s report, 20,000 families will be affected by the reduction in cash assistance, including those internally displaced in cold mountainous areas who will not receive support for winter necessities like blankets and winter clothes. The cuts in shelter programs will leave about 66,000 internally displaced persons living in suboptimal conditions.
The UNHCR reaffirmed that the significant challenges related to protection and displacement in Yemen continue to make it one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, characterized by civilian casualties, widespread and prolonged displacement, and social and economic marginalization.
