Yemen: Humanitarian corridors to open between Al-Hudaydah and Sana'a /update 14

Event

In late September, the Saudi- and UAE-led Arab coalition announced that it would work with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to open humanitarian corridors between Al-Hudaydah and Sana'a to facilitate the delivery of aid. The announcement comes amid mounting food insecurity in the country, with an estimated 22.2 million people in need of aid and 8.4 million "severely food insecure," according to the UN. Continuing fighting between the Arab coalition and the Houthi rebels is to be expected in Al-Hudaydah and its environs in the near-term which may exacerbate food insecurity and cause a famine in Yemen.

Context

Dozens of people have been killed around Al-Hudaydah in coalition airstrikes as well as in clashes between coalition forces and Houthi rebels since UN-brokered peace negotiations faltered between the Yemeni government and Houthi leaders in Geneva on September 8. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), tens of thousands of households have been displaced from Al-Hudaydah in the fighting. In late September, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths claimed that "critical actions need to be taken now" to avert a famine in the country.

Yemen is engaged in a complex and deadly conflict, ongoing since Houthi rebels entered into a civil war with the Yemeni government, supported by a Saudi-led coalition, in 2015. The Saudi-led coalition has carried out thousands of airstrikes in Yemen since its intervention began. Hundreds of Yemeni civilians have been killed in the strikes, which have hit schools, hospitals, and markets, in addition to Houthi militant positions and personnel. In total, more than 10,000 Yemenis have died in the fighting and some 3 million have been displaced.

Advice

Due to poor security conditions, many Western governments advise their citizens against all travel to Yemen. Travel to the country should only be considered with proper security protocols in place. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel.