The Task Force on Population Movement Report: 2.5 million IDPs as a result of conflict in Yemen [EN/AR]

Yemen, 18 December 2015 – The situation in Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Middle East, has substantially worsened since the start of the conflict in March 2015. The Task Force on Population Movement (TFPM), led by UNHCR and IOM and in collaboration with several operational partners, in its sixth report has determined that there were 2,509,068 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Yemen. These figures point to an increase of nine per cent since 15 October 2015, and an eight fold increase since March 2015. While displacement has decreased in the southern governorates, where there have been large scale returns in recent months, it has increased significantly in the northern governorates, consistent with the patterns of conflict.

“The TFPM report provides an extremely useful support mechanism to more effectively manage the response to the increasingly dire humanitarian situation throughout Yemen”, said Nicoletta Giordano, the Chief of Mission for IOM in Yemen. Since October 2015, when the TFPM published its fifth report, IOM and UNHCR have increased the coverage area for the information collection by 82%, and have incorporated a great degree of quality data; thereby increasing the level of confidence in the findings. The report estimates that 45 per cent of all IDPs have fled to areas within their own governorate of origin, while 55 per cent have sought refuge in other governorates.

The five governorates most affected by the conflict – Taizz, Amran, Hajjah, Sana’a and Abyan – account for more than 1.2 million of the 2.5 million IDPs or 48 per cent of all IDPs in Yemen. Taizz Governorate has over 392,000 IDPs - the highest of any other governorate. Intensified hostilities have also increased displacement in Sana’a and Dhamar governorates. At the same time, IOM reports that 210,000 displaced people have returned to their homes in Aden over recent months. However, displacement is only one aspect of this crisis and the needs in Aden and other southern governorates remain high, with many returnees in need of assistance to rebuild their homes and restart their lives. “The ongoing conflict, damage to civilian infrastructure, and strain on already depleted resources has exacerbated an already precarious humanitarian situation”, highlighted Johannes van der Klaauw, the UNHCR Representative in Yemen. The sixth report points to the main needs of IDPs: food, non-food items (NFIs), WASH, and shelter solutions. Most IDPs have lost their livelihood and sought shelter with relatives and friends, in schools, public and abandoned buildings, makeshift shelters or in the open with little to no protection.

In responding to the needs of IDPs and other conflict-affected communities, the Shelter/NFI and Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster, led by IOM/UNHCR, have assisted over 362,157 persons with NFIs, 126,698 persons with emergency shelter materials/kits, 14,854 persons with tents, and 13,085 persons with cash assistance for rental subsidies. Cluster partners have also provided psychosocial and legal assistance to individuals with specific needs.

The TFPM report is available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/task-force-population-movement-6th-report-10-december-2015