Supplying H2O to Displaced Individuals in Yemen
In the war-torn nation of Yemen, the humanitarian situation remains one of the most critical in the world. Since 2015, at least half of Yemen's 38 million inhabitants have been living in extremely difficult conditions, with many seeking shelter in the south, living in tents, temporary accommodation, or with host communities.
Current efforts to improve living conditions for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Yemen’s Lahij governorate focus on education, hygiene, and safety. While specific projects on water access and nutrition education are less explicitly detailed in recent reports, a multifaceted approach is being taken to address these challenges.
Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief agency has launched a project in Lahij’s Al-Hawtah and Tuban districts, benefiting around 6,833 people directly. This project provides hygiene kits along with school supplies, promotes awareness for girls’ school attendance, and includes teacher training and refurbishment of classrooms. Psychological and social support, child protection services, and referral mechanisms are also key components [1].
As part of explosives clearance in Lahij, Saudi Arabia's Project Masam carried out 49 waste removal operations in camps for displaced people. Clearing explosives facilitates safer access to water and sanitation facilities, enabling humanitarian aid deliveries and community mobility [2].
Organizations like Altwasul for Human Development operate in southern Yemen, delivering WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene), nutrition, and community empowerment programs targeting IDPs and vulnerable households. Their participatory approach includes women, youth, and disabled persons, which may have spillover benefits for Lahij [3].
UNFPA is conducting GBV Safety Audits in southern Yemen, including nearby areas like Aden. These audits target safe access to WASH facilities among women and girls and could indirectly contribute to safer hygiene conditions for displaced populations in Lahij [4].
Welthungerhilfe (WHH) and its partner organization People In Need (PIN) are working to improve the living conditions of IDPs in the Lahij governorate. They have restored a drinking water well in Al-Anad, allowing people to access clean water. To address power supply issues for the functioning of pumps, solar panels are being installed where necessary [5].
In addition, nutrition courses on providing the right nutrients for children and tips on breastfeeding and disease prevention are being offered [5]. However, the already weak infrastructure in Yemen is suffering further from the war, with the currency collapsing and the economy idling. More than four million Yemenis are refugees in their own country, and basic services are barely functioning due to lack of public funding, affecting schools, hospitals, water distribution, electricity supply, waste disposal, among others [5].
In summary, current priorities in Lahij include education with hygiene promotion, clearance of explosive hazards for safer living environments, and integrated protection services. These create a foundation that may support improvements in water access and nutrition education as part of ongoing humanitarian strategies.
[1] https://www.ksrelief.org/en/projects/yemen/lahij-governorate-al-hawtah-and-tuban-districts [2] https://www.ksrelief.org/en/projects/yemen/lahij-governorate-clearance-of-explosive-remnants-of-war [3] https://www.altwasul.org/en/ [4] https://www.unfpa.org/yemen [5] https://www.welthungerhilfe.de/en/news/yemen-welthungerhilfe-and-people-in-need-improve-living-conditions-for-internally-displaced-people-in-lahij-governorate-in-southwest-yemen/
- The efforts in Yemen's Lahij governorate aim to improve the living conditions of internally displaced people (IDPs) through a multifaceted approach that includes not only education and hygiene promotions, but also a focus on nutrition and clean water access.
- As part of humanitarian strategies in Yemen, organizations provide nutrition courses, teaching about the right nutrients for children, breastfeeding, and disease prevention, recognizing the importance of nutrition in health-and-wellness.
