Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 636b- Yemen War Mosaic 636b

Yemen Press Reader 636b: 27. März 2020: Fortsetzung von Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 636, cp1a-cp4: Coronavirus im Jemen – u.a.m. / March 27, 2020: Sequel to Yemen War Mosaic 636, cp1a-cp4: Coronavirus etc.

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Dies ist die Fortsetzung von Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 636, Teil 1 / This is the sequel of Yemen War Mosaic 636, part 1:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-636-yemen-war-mosaic-636

Schwerpunkte / Key aspects

Kursiv: Siehe Teil 1 und 3 / In Italics: Look in part 1 and 3

Klassifizierung / Classification

Part 1

Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject

cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important

cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important: Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte 1-3, 2020: Jemen

cp1 Am wichtigsten : Fünf Jahre Jemenkrieg / Most important: Five years of Yemen War

cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics

cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle

cp2 Allgemein / General

cp2a Allgemein: Saudische Blockade / General: Saudi blockade

cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation

cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees

Part 3

cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis

cp6 Separatisten und Hadi-Regierung im Südjemen / Separatists and Hadi government in Southern Yemen

cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks

cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia

cp8a Jamal Khashoggi

cp9 USA

cp9a USA-Iran Krise: Spannungen am Golf / US-Iran crisis: Tensions at the Gulf

cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain

cp11 Deutschland / Germany

cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries

cp13 Wirtschaft / Economy

cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism

cp15 Propaganda

cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids

cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War

cp18 Sonstiges / Other

Klassifizierung / Classification

***

**

*

(Kein Stern / No star)

? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating

A = Aktuell / Current news

B = Hintergrund / Background

C = Chronik / Chronicle

D = Details

E = Wirtschaft / Economy

H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions

K = Krieg / War

P = Politik / Politics

pH = Pro-Houthi

pS = Pro-Saudi

T = Terrorismus / Terrorism

cp1a Am wichtigsten: Coronavirus und Seuchen / Most important: Coronavirus and Epidemics

Siehe / Look at cp1

(* A H P)

Militärische Quelle: Ausbereitung Corona unter Söldnern, Saudi-Arabien weigert sich, Kranken aufzunehmen

Eine militärische Quelle bestätigte die Ausbreitung des Corona-Virus unter den Söldnern der Aggression in mehr als einer militärischen Achse, insbesondere in der Midi-Achse.

Die Quelle gab in einer Erklärung gegenüber der jemenitischen Nachrichtenagentur (Saba) an, dass die Zahl der mit dem Virus infizierten Personen in einer der Brigaden der Fünften Militärregion im Zentrum von Midi bis zum 24. März 13 erreichte, zusätzlich zu einem Arzt aus der Militärzone.

Die Quelle bestätigte das Vorhandensein von Söldnertoten aufgrund des Mangels an medizinischen Leistungen. Erwarten Sie die Ausbreitung der Epidemie aufgrund des saudischen Regimes, das die Aufnahme von Verletzten in saudischen Krankenhäusern verhindert.

https://www.saba.ye/de/news3092198.htm

Meine Bemerkung: So die Huthi-Seite.

(* A H P)

Houthis announce cases of coronavirus in Yemen

Ansar Allah group (Houthis) said on Thursday evening that there were cases of coronavirus among the coalition forces on several border fronts and inside Yemen.

According to the media of the Ansar Allah group (Houthis), a military source confirmed, "The spread of the Coronavirus among the coalition soldiers on more than one military axis, especially the Medi axis."

https://debriefer.net/en/news-15959.html

and

(* A H P)

Corona deployed among mercenaries, Saudi Arabia refuses to receive injured: Military source

A military source confirmed the spread of the coronavirus among the mercenaries of aggression in more than one military axis, especially in the Midi axis, an official told Saba on Thursday.

The number of people infected with the virus reached 13 in one of the brigades of the fifth military zone in the Midi axis until March 24, in addition to one of the doctors from the military zone, said the official.

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3092153.htm

My comment: As claimed by the Houthis side.

(A H P)

WHO: Yemen is free of coronavirus

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in Yemen said yesterday that the country has no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19.

The WHO office in Yemen wrote on Twitter that in coordination with the Ministry of Health it has supported the establishment of a quarantine facility in the city of Aden to ensure “preparedness and response in the event a case is confirmed.”

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200326-who-yemen-is-free-of-coronavirus/

My comment: BS. How could they know without testing?

(* A H P)

Across Yemen, local authorities prepare for potential spread of coronavirus

Authorities in different areas of the country are implementing their own strategies

Given the variety of actors with influence on the ground across Yemen, the preventative steps taken have varied considerably. Whereas the Houthis maintain a highly centralized structure of governance in areas under their control, in nominally government-controlled territory some governorate-level authorities, in addition to southern separatists, hold considerable influence in shaping policies. Below are some of the main steps taken by authorities across Yemen to prevent and/or prepare for the spread of coronavirus into Yemen.

In Aden, the seat of the internationally-recognized government, the local authority and the Ministry of Health have taken a number of precautionary steps to confront the danger posed by a potential outbreak of the virus. They transformed Al-Amal Hospital for Cancer Treatment in Buraiqa district of Aden into a quarantine facility should any individuals be suspected of having the virus.

The quarantine facility is equipped with an initial capacity of 120 beds, which can be increased if necessary, including ten beds for intensive care rooms. Another hall is prepared as a spare quarantine. On March 10, a training course on dealing with coronavirus was held, organized by the Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organization (WHO). About 80 doctors and health workers participated.

Challenges

Despite all the above measures, the underlying challenge Yemen faces is the lack of uniformity between the procedures undertaken by the different warring parties, let alone the implementation by local authorities on the ground. In a positive sign, Abdulrab Al-Salami, minister of state in the Yemeni government, called this week for a joint government-Houthi initiative to tackle the country’s coronavirus prevention strategy, sponsored by the WHO.

Beyond this lack of coordination at the national level, a number of challenges remain. This includes the shortage of masks, sterilization equipment and other medical resources; the die conditions in prisons, which lack even basic sanitation and could serve to rapidly spread the disease; and the fact that some qat markets remain open and group chewing continues in certain areas. Additionally, travellers from outside Yemen, especially Eastern Africans migrating to the Gulf, continue to enter Yemen and continue to various governorates without proper monitoring and examination. On top of all this, there are fears that tens of thousands of public employees will not receive their salaries, and that countless private sector employees will be put temporarily out of work as public life grinds to a halt amid the campaign to remain indoors.

https://al-masdaronline.net/national/531

(* B H)

As it braces for coronavirus, Yemen offers lessons of survival for the world

Hisham Al-Omeisy, a Yemeni activist living in exile in Egypt, spoke with The World's host Marco Werman about the war and the threat of the pandemic spreading in Yemen.

So March 26 marks the fifth anniversary of the first airstrikes by Saudi Arabia in Yemen. But Yemen's been at war even longer than that. What prospects do you see for your country now?

The thing is that in Yemen, the roots of the conflict go way deep. People can trace it back even to 30 years ago. But the thing is that the social fabric has been torn apart. We have lost the central axis for our nation — what defines us. And the problem is a lot of people are so focused on ending the war itself, the conflict — but even if the war, even if the guns stopped tomorrow, it's going to take a while for the internal conflict to end.

And Yemen, if it gets hit by this coronavirus, I suspect that will affect humanitarian assistance as well.

It will. You have to remember that the health care situation is pretty bad. I mean, only 40% of the hospitals are operational, and within those 40%, it's very limited capacity. So if it hits us, it would hit us really hard.

What would you like the rest of the world to be thinking right now? Obviously recognizing that pretty much everybody on this planet is distracted by the coronavirus, what would you like the world to be thinking in those corners where they have some space to be thinking about Yemen?

Well they need to learn from us, to be honest with you. The thing is that we've had shortages. We've had epidemics. We've had the war. The airstrikes and anything else that basically forced us into our own basements for five years. And there's some lessons to be learned from the Yemeni experience. Now that I'm watching the news and I've seen people turn against each other fighting in grocery stores, and I would like them to see what we did in Yemen. We didn't do that. We didn't panic. There was no mass hysteria. We actually worked together. We learned how to be kinder to each other. We learned that we survive as a community. And that's how we've been able to survive for the past five years. So the world can actually look for lessons from Yemen.

https://www.pri.org/stories/2020-03-26/it-braces-coronavirus-yemen-offers-lessons-survival-world

(A H)

Film: Yemen - 150 students from Taiz University Medical School trained to combat Coronavirus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZFGRE4KLBI

(A H)

Photos: Today we and some young people went out to raise awareness

https://twitter.com/alialsonidar/status/1243190660691361793

(A H P)

COVID-19 Quarantine facility established in Aden

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that it has supported establishment of a COVID-19 quarantine facility in Aden to ensure response should any case is confirmed.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-38634

(A H P)

Markets closed in Hajjah as precautionary measure from Corona

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3092142.htm

(* A H P)

Yemen: UAE-backed forces decide to curfew in Aden

Yemeni forces backed by the UAE decided to impose a curfew in the governorate of Aden, in southern Yemen, starting Thursday evening, for fear of the outbreak of Coronavirus.

The support and backstopping forces and security belts of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) said in a statement that they had decided to impose a curfew, close shops and crafts, and stop transportation from ten in the evening until six in the morning for two weeks.

It warned violators of taking legal measures that amount to imprisonment and payment of fines.

The forces loyal to the Emirates that control the governorate of Aden last Monday closed wedding halls, hotels, gardens, parks, commercial centers and Qat markets for two weeks as a precautionary measure to prevent the arrival of the Corona epidemic.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-15957.html

and also http://en.adenpress.news/news/19712

(A H P)

[Sanaa gov.] Ministry of Interior announces strict measures to prevent entry of arrivals from occupied areas

The Interior Ministry has announced strict measures to prevent those coming from outside the country or provinces under the control of the forces of aggression and their mercenaries enter the areas run by the Supreme Political Council.

"The security services will never allow the entry of those coming from outside the country or from the provinces controlled by the occupation and their mercenaries, and their transit to the provinces and free zones run by the Supreme Political Council," the Interior Ministry said in a statement received by Saba.

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3092154.htm

(A H P)

Film: The procedures for confronting the Corona epidemic in the Quarantine Center in the Haifa District, Taiz Governorate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7soYdee7d4

My comment: In reality, these quarantine centers seem to be horrible.

(* A H)

UN concerns at Yemen's coronavirus quarantine facilities

The United Nations on Thursday expressed concerns about thousands of people quarantined in Yemen, where the organization says no coronavirus case has occurred so far.

There are fears about thousands of people, including migrants, in crowded quarantine facilities living bad conditions in different areas across the country, as part of precautions against COVID-19, it added.
Humanitarian partners are providing lifesaving assistances for people at quarantines, the UN agency said.
Thousands of Yemenis have been detained in unhealthy conditions in a university yard in Rada'a district of Baydha governorate, eyewitnesses have said.
"The Houthi group has put travellers coming from abroad in 14-day health quarantine" in the Yemeni central district, they added.
On social media, people appeared in pictures and footages sleeping on blankets over asphalt, under trees or in their cars, before being moved to the university building.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-15953.html

(* A H P)

Coronavirus aid shipment stalled in Aden port amid Yemen government, STC power struggle

The shipment was held up due to an ongoing dispute between the STC and the internationally recognized government in Aden over control of the coronavirus response

Security Belt Forces (SBF), the elite military wing of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), held back a shipment of medical equipment at Aden’s port in Tawahi district on Tuesday to restrict the spread of coronavirus, an official at Aden port told Almasdar Online.

SBF soldiers detained about 81 ambulances, 15 mobile medical clinics and 65 ventilators sent by the World Health Organization without providing justification.

The official said the shipment was detained due to an ongoing dispute between the deputy director of the Health Bureau in Aden, Dr. Mohammed Rubaid, and STC leaders Dr. Abdul Nasser Al-Wali and Mohsen Al-Wali over control of the coronavirus response.

STC leaders are refusing to pass on aid support from international organizations to the government without being included in the process, the official said.

https://al-masdaronline.net/national/529

(* B H P)

Worries Grow in Yemen About the Impact Coronavirus Could Have

Sultana Begum is Yemen advocacy manager for the Norwegian Refugee Council. She tells VOA that Yemenis will find it hard to protect themselves against the COVID-19 pandemic as fighting continues to rage between Saudi-backed government forces and Iranian-supported Houthi rebels.

“We are extremely, extremely concerned about any possible outbreak because it will have catastrophic consequences for displaced people," she said. "After five years of war there have been a lot of damage and destruction to thousands of hospitals, water and sanitation systems. On top of that, Yemen was already reeling from other diseases like dengue fever and cholera. We have a lot of displaced people who lack access to water, health care. Even washing your hands is very difficult when living in desert-like, overcrowded camps. Never mind self-isolating.”

Bianco tells VOA that she expects to see the coronavirus also impact the ability of parties on both sides of the conflict to wage war.

"So, I think it will spread quite quickly and in three months’ time we will see a peak level of contagion in Yemen to a point that it will definitely and necessarily impact also political groups, militias and everyone who is involved in the war," she said.

British Yemen expert Helen Lackner says she doesn’t think much can be done to protect the Yemenis from the coronavirus. Both the Houthi rebels and United Arab Emirates-backed southern separatists, she says, are preventing precautionary measures from being put into place.

“The southern forces in Aden have prevented WHO [World Health Organization] supplies from being left out of the airport so they could reach government people. That’s a lot of serious supplies," she said. "The so-called quarantine areas set up in Houthi areas, which are doing anything except protecting anyone from anything. On the contrary, they are disease breeding grounds.”

Citing published reports, Lackner tells VOA that the UAE-backed southern separatists prevented 81 ambulances and 15 mobile health clinics from being released to combat disease.

https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/worries-grow-yemen-about-impact-coronavirus-could-have

(* B H K)

After 5 Years of Siege & War, Yemen Faces COVID-19 – Stephen Bell, Stop the War Coalition

As we mark the fifth anniversary of the start of the Saudi-led war on Yemen, the new threat of Covid-19 awaits the country. The strength of the Saudi imposed siege has delayed its arrival. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported no cases by March 24. Buts its arrival is inevitable. Yemen’s belligerent neighbour, Saudi Arabia, reported 562 cases by March 23rd, with its first death on March 24th.

The two governments are co-operating on the issue, but indirectly, through the WHO. The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Office official Abd al-Nasser Abu Bakr said they expected “an explosion in the number of coronavirus cases in Syria and Yemen”. Certainly the existing humanitarian crisis in Yemen offers plenty of support for such an assessment.

Yemen does not deserve a catastrophic dose of Covid-19. It does deserve an end to the invasion, and urgent medical assistance.

http://www.stopwar.org.uk/index.php/news-comment/3640-after-five-years-of-siege-war-yemen-faces-covid-19 = https://labouroutlook.org/2020/03/27/after-5-years-of-siege-war-yemen-faces-covid-19-stephen-bell-stop-the-war-coalition/

(* B H P)

Yemen facing coronavirus danger while 95% of its healthcare system capacities are damaged: report

The undersigned organizations (BFHR - GIDHR – SALAM) are concerned regarding health security in Yemen.

Novel coronavirus pandemic is spreading hastily around the globe while Saudi-led coalition’s war on Yemen demolished 95% of Yemen’s health care system capacities.

The signatories call on the international community and the United Nations to pressure Saudi Arabia and UAE to end their siege on the Yemeni borders, halt their military operations against Yemen immediately, and reconstruct the hospitals and health care facilities which were destroyed by their airstrikes.

The Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights (GIDHR) documented, in the 19th issue of its newsletter, the Yemeni Ministry of Public Health and Population revealed that 92 % to 95% of the devices in hospitals and health centres were disrupted by the end of 2018. According to a report issued by UNICEF in June 2019 “only 51% of all health facilities are fully operational”.

The Saudi and Emirati led coalition has been targeting the hospitals and health care facilities in Yemen, directly and intentionally. More than 70 health care centres were destroyed since March 2015. Airstrikes targeted Al-Thawra Hospital, were conducted by the coalition in August 2018, killed at least 60 people and injured more than 100.

Commenting, Yahya Alhadid, the Chairman of the Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights (GIDHR), said “we have seen the recurrence of some epidemics in Yemen due to the destruction of the Yemeni healthcare system, and infrastructure including the networks of the clean water and the sewage systems. The siege left Yemen short on essential medical supplies, vaccines and medicines; yet with not enough medical stuff as it was heavily dependent on foreign medical workers, many of whom have left Yemen after the war.”

“In addition, the damage that occurred have strained the abilities of the Yemeni healthcare system, and left it struggling to meet the everyday needs and the preventable diseases (such as the cholera). We are seriously concerned regarding the ability of Yemen to face the Covid19 pandemic, if the people have no access to clean water or the essential hygiene products in some areas!” Alhadid continued.

https://en.mehrnews.com/news/157022/Yemen-facing-coronavirus-danger-while-95-of-its-healthcare-system

(* B H)

Virus Outbreak Could Spell Disaster for War-Ravaged Yemen, Experts Warn

Hand-washing to combat the spread of coronavirus is the order of the day, but it’s an unaffordable luxury for millions in war-ravaged Yemen where clean water is dangerously scarce.

Yemen’s broken healthcare system has yet to register any cases of the disease, but if the pandemic does hit, the impact will be unimaginable in a country where the long conflict has created what the U.N. calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Five years after a Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen to support the government against the Iran-backed Huthi rebels, some 80 percent of the population of 30 million is in need of aid.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it was concerned many Yemenis have no access even to clean water or soap.

“We are extremely worried,” Caroline Seguin, MSF’s head of programs in Yemen, Iraq and Jordan, told AFP. “We can recommend they wash their hands, but what if they don’t have anything to wash with?”

MSF said that given the state of the healthcare system, it would be “a disaster” if the new coronavirus reached Yemen, long the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest nation.

“Frequently washing hands is the most effective way to protect against the coronavirus, but what will more than half the Yemeni people who don’t have access to safe water do,” the International Committee of the Red Cross in Yemen tweeted on Sunday.

https://theglobepost.com/2020/03/25/yemen-covid-19/

(B H K)

5 Years of war leave Yemen at the mercy of the coronavirus

Yemen, already reeling from the impact of war and disease, enters its sixth year of armed conflict vulnerable to possible catastrophe from the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Yemen has not detected any coronavirus cases to date, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), but the war has shattered the impoverished nation’s health-care system.

Thousands of Yemeni hospitals have been destroyed or damaged in coalition airstrikes, crippling the country’s ability to face a possible outbreak of the coronavirus.

“Our suffering is already multiplied by the war. Another disaster won’t hurt,” Ahmed Hazaa, a shopkeeper in Sanaa, told EFE. “Look around. People go about their normal life no matter what.”

“Yemenis are used to disaster and agony,” he said.

With less than 45 percent of hospitals able to function, nearly half of Yemenis have no access to medical care.

Malnutrition and displacement due to violence have led to the spread of diseases such as cholera, diphtheria and dengue fever.

And delivering aid is complicated given the ban imposed on Yemeni airspace by the Arab coalition, with only UN flights allowed.

https://www.laprensalatina.com/5-years-of-war-leave-yemen-at-the-mercy-of-the-coronavirus/

(A E H)

Yemeni parliamentarian calls for rent relief amid coronavirus fears

While there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Yemen, the threat of the disease is already affecting the fragile economy

Parliamentarian Shawqy Al-Qadhi has launched an initiative to exempt Yemeni tenants from paying one month's rent, starting in April amid concerns about the economic effects of the spread of coronavirus.

"To the owners of residential homes in Yemen ... Taking into account the circumstances of the disease and war in Yemen, please pardon the tenants of your homes from paying rent in April 2020," Al-Qadhi said in a series of tweets.

"I will start by myself, to my tenants in Yemen, and will pardon you from paying April rent," he said.

https://al-masdaronline.net/national/528

(A H P)

Film: [Separatist] Security belt forces continue to impose precautionary measures to combat Coronavirus

The security forces continue spreading for the second day in a row, in order to close the markets of qat and wedding halls and parks and commercial markets in the interim capital Aden in southern Yemen as a precautionary measure to prevent the outbreak of the coronavirus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynZx0q7U0D8

(A H P)

Film: Together against Corona A number of health measures in Saada Governorate in the face of the Corona epidemic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOPmxZHL1G8

(B H)

Preparing for the Arrival of COVID-19 in Yemen

ACTED recently spoke to its teams on the ground in four of our countries of operations to see how each of them are preparing for a local escalation in the number of cases of COVID-19. Below is our latest update from our mission in Yemen.

ACTED steps up preparation and support to Authorities to mitigate the spread of Coronavirus in Yemen

Whilst there are currently no confirmed Coronavirus cases in Yemen, battered health systems mean an outbreak would have deadly consequences. ACTED is hoping for the best whilst preparing for the worst, supporting authorities to mitigate the spread of the virus.

ACTED donates essential supplies to the Authorities to support their preparation

https://www.acted.org/en/acted-steps-up-preparation-and-support-to-authorities-to-mitigate-the-spread-of-coronavirus-in-yemen/

(* B H)

Health organisations warn millions in Yemen lack access to clean water, soap in fight against COVID-19

A number of health organisations working in Yemen have warned that millions in the war-torn country do not have access to clean water or soap risking their lives in the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Caroline Siegen, director of Doctors Without Borders in Yemen, Iraq and Jordan told AFP that millions of Yemenis do not have access to clean water while others do not even have access to soap.

She explained that health organisations including WHO recommend frequent hand washing as a preventive measure to protect against the coronavirus. “However; what if they do not have clean water?” she asked.

The United Nations child agency, UNICEF, estimates that 18 million people, including 9.2 million children in Yemen, do not have direct access to “safe water, sanitation and hygiene.”

UNICEF Yemen’s chief of communications, Bismarck Swangin, told AFP that years of underinvestment in water and sanitation systems and the ongoing conflict have severely impacted people’s access to drinking water.

According to Swangin only one third of Yemen’s 27 million people are connected to water pipeline networks.

The World Health Organisation in Yemen told AFP: “We cannot overwhelm the already fragile health system in Yemen,” adding that the “introduction of the disease in Yemen will overrun hospitals and health facilities.”

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200325-health-organisations-warn-millions-in-yemen-lack-access-to-clean-water-soap-in-fight-against-covid-19/

(A H)

[Sanaa gov.] Committee to Combat Corona: So Far, no Confirmed Cases in Yemen

https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=11901

My comment: This is BS. Almost no tests, no cases.

(* B H)

WHO warns Yemen of pending 'explosion' of COVID-19 cases

Yemen is trying to get ahead of the coronavirus crisis, but it faces a daunting task. Though it hadn't reported a single case of COVID-19 as of March 24, the country's medical infrastructure, debilitated from five years of civil war, and its fractured society leave it especially vulnerable to the pandemic.

Taha al-Mutawakel, health minister for the Houthis' National Salvation Government, held his first news conference on the virus March 21. He warned that 93% of the country’s medical equipment is out of service because of Yemen's civil war between the Iran-affiliated Houthis and the UN-recognized, Saudi-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

Meanwhile, GNA Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik said schools in his government's areas were closed for a week and health professionals were testing travelers arriving at the country's entry points. The Health Ministry has designated $4 million to combat the virus.

The Houthis' National Salvation Government has also taken several precautionary measures.

However, these measures had not been fully implemented, as social media users criticized Hussein Maqbouli, the Houthi-led government's deputy and head of the Supreme Committee for Combating Diseases, of violating his own orders when he attended a wedding March 19.

Still, several halls, parks, gardens and hookah cafes in the capital Sanaa have abided by the measures.

There are small buses traveling to southern provinces, he said, but the problem is that no bus filled with passengers is allowed to return and enter Houthi-controlled areas. This measure has led to a 30% spike in ticket prices, he said, because the buses return empty.

“When the bus driver travels and comes back, he is [possibly] infected himself,” said Khuzai, stressing that no driver has been submitted to quarantine so far. “I pray this virus won't enter Yemen, because our capabilities aren't like those in China, Iran, France or Italy."

He concluded: “If it enters Yemen, we will be exterminated within a month.”

Abd al-Nasser Abu Bakr, head of the department for combating infectious diseases at the WHO office in the Eastern Mediterranean, told CNN Arabic on March 19 that he expected "an explosion in the number of coronavirus cases in Syria and Yemen."

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/yemen-women-face-masks-coronavirus-houthi-measures.html

(* A H P)

Houthis approve Hadi government’s initiative to counter Coronavirus in Yemen

The Houthi group (Ansar Allah) has approved the initiative of the Yemeni internationally recognized government to form a joint operating room to counter the emerging Coronavirus in the country.

The Houthi-run Yemeni news agency (Saba) quoted a prominent leader of the group, a member of the so-called Supreme Political Council, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, as confirming that his group was "ready to form an operations room linking regions throughout the republic and exchanging information about the Coronavirus."

The Minister of State in the Yemeni internationally recognized government, Abdulrab al-Salami, on Sunday called on the al-Houthi group to form a joint cell from the ministries of health in Aden and Sana'a and under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO) to confront the emerging Coronavirus.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-15916.html

(B H)

Vicar of Arabia: coronavirus will have a devastating impact in Yemen

After five years of a brutal civil war, there is great concern about the “possible spread of the coronavirus” in Yemen, which “would have a devastating effect" on the country and the civilian population, this according to Bishop Paul Hinder, apostolic vicar of southern Arabia.

Speaking to AsiaNews, the prelate stressed that the country “has no health facilities to deal with an emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic”, nor “any prospects for peace" at present.

Whilst “it is true that Yemen’s population is relatively young and less at risk than the peoples of Europe, which are older,” the effects of the coronavirus outbreak are already felt in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. What is more, “there is no institution that can counteract the effects of the virus” in the country.

For the prelate, hope lies “with the impact of the epidemic on the war,” but since “it is hard to get reliable information from the country, it is hard to see any peaceful solution on the horizon.” Perhaps, the epidemic “could create a new situation, offer the various parties an excuse to withdraw and work together.”

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Vicar-of-Arabia:-coronavirus-will-have-a-devastating-impact-in-Yemen-49647.html

(* B H)

Film: Yemen 'struggles' to wash hand amid Coronavirus outbreak as it lacks soap and water

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has called for supporting a clean water system in Yemen to protect the country's population from spreading diseases, including Coronavirus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2cspbBv6iw

(A H P)

WHO, World Bank prepare Yemen coronavirus response

Contingency plans are in place at the request of the WHO and supported by the Saudi-led coalition and international NGOs inside Yemen

The UN's World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Yemen.

A Saudi cargo plane carrying medical supplies arrived at Aden's International Airport on Monday. The shipment included personal protective equipment for health workers and laboratory testing materials for use in Aden and Sana'a, as well as medications and supplies to support the ongoing response to the crisis, WHO said.

The contingency plans are in place at the request of the WHO and supported by the Saudi-led coalition and international NGOs inside Yemen.

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Najib Al-Awaj announced that the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) allocated $26.7 million to help Yemen to tackle the humanitarian, economic and social implications of coronavirus.

https://al-masdaronline.net/national/524

(A P)

NGO warns against epidemic outbreak among detained passengers

A local human rights NGO warned on Monday against epidemics outbreak among thousands of passengers detained by the Houthis militia over coronavirus risks.

The Human Rights Information and Training Center (HRITC) condemned the Houthis’ detention of travelers at a military checkpoint in Al-Baida in inhumane conditions.

The Houthis say that detained passengers who were crossing from the government-held areas to the Houthis-held governorates are under 14-day quarantine.

Yet, the detained passengers were not kept in a standard quarantine center.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-38599

cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle

(A K pH)

103 Verstöße der Aggressionstruppen in Hodeidah in den letzten 24 Stunden

https://www.saba.ye/de/news3092197.htm

(A K pH)

Verstöße in Hodeidah gehen weiter

https://www.saba.ye/de/news3092177.htm

(A K pH)

In Hodeidah, a civilian and his daughter were killed and his wife and two sons were injured with US-Saudi artillery shelling on their house in Al-Hali district. Two civilians were injured in the same district with several arms. US-Saudi forces launched over 103 violates, including 7 violates on Kilo-16 watch post, 2 drones flights in Al-Jabaleah and Hais district, 30 artillery violates and 64 violates with several gunshots.

https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=11942

(A K pS)

Film: Two brothers are killed when a landmine planted by Al Houthi militia explodes near their house in Al-Derahimi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6qQs4eC7eA

(A K pS)

Hodeidah: Hothis destroy al-Tuhita's main water tank

The Iran-backed Houthi terrorist militia destroyed on Thursday, the main water tank of al-Tuhita district in the south of Hodeidah.
According to al-Amalika Media Centre (AMC) the Houthi targeted deliberately the water tank by heavy machine guns. The tanks used to feed more than 60% of al-Tuhita's population.
The incident sparked anger among the inhabitants of the district who called on the United Nations for a rapid intervention to put an end to the Houthi abuses

http://en.adenpress.news/news/19710

Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-ywq0RX4OU

(A K pS)

Film: Clashes in Al-Tahita and Hays in Hodeidah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-mZUzRos-U

(A K P)

Yemen [Hadi gov.] Reiterates Calls to Move ‘Hodeidah Mission’ Offices to Liberated Areas

Yemen’s internationally recognized government reiterated its call to move UN Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement offices to liberated areas to guarantee impartiality and effective performance.

This follows the Houthi blocking of UN ship from leaving Hodeidah port on March 24, which was carrying liaison officers from the internationally recognized Yemeni government and intended to travel to the southwestern Yemeni port of Mocha.

Several liaison officers suspended their participation in UN observation posts established to monitor a cease-fire in the governorate in mid-March after Houthi militants shot and injured a liaison officer in Hodeidah governorate.

Information Minister Muammar al-Eryani had labled the Houthi move as a “dangerous escalation.”

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2200456/yemen-reiterates-calls-move-%E2%80%98hodeidah-mission%E2%80%99-offices-liberated-areas

My comment: The Hodeidah mission should stay in Hodeidah. Otherwise, for instance Montevideo could be a more convenient place than Yemen’s “liberated” areas.

(A K P)

Yemeni gov't calls Houthi detention of UN ship as "bullying"

The Yemeni internationally recognized government called the Houthis (Ansar Allah) detention of a United Nations ship with government officers on board as part of "bullying methods", expressing its astonishment at the "international silence".

On Wednesday, the spokesman for the Yemeni "legitimate" government, Rajeh Badi, said that the Houthis had seized the ship in Al Hodeidah Governorate with liaison officers on the government team of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) and prevented them from leaving for the port of Mocha to deliver the officers according to the agreement with the UN mission.

He called on the United Nations to play its role in protecting the safety of the liaison officers and ensuring their return to Mocha urgently, according to the Aden-based Yemeni news agency "Saba".

"It is assumed that the ship is in a neutral area, and is subject to the management and supervision of the United Nations, to facilitate oversight and supervision of the implementation of the redeployment agreement in Hodeidah on the Red Sea," Badi added.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-15955.html

and also http://en.26sepnews.net/2020/03/26/govt-spokesman-says-houthi-detention-of-un-ship-strong-arm-acts/

(A K pS)

Film: Al-Hodeidah: Houthi militia's heavy losses due to its escalating violations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGbvSCzpyGY

(A K pS)

Films: The joint forces seized two cars carrying smuggled fertilizers that were on their way to the Houthis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbqHAq1oBd8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8J8ZRbKQUg

(A K pS)

Houthi Drone Attack Foiled in Hodeidah

http://en.adenpress.news/news/19705

(A K pH)

Aggressionskräfte verübten 93 Verstöße gegen das Hodeidah-Abkommen

https://www.saba.ye/de/news3091975.htm

(A K pH)

Aggression forces commit out 89 violations in Hodeidah

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3092063.htm

(A K pH)

In Hodeidah, US-Saudi forces targeted several areas of 50th St., Kilo-16, Addurayhimi city and Attohayta district with shells.

https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=11894

cp2 Allgemein / General

(* A K P)

Interactive Map of Yemen War

https://yemen.liveuamap.com/

(* A K)

MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON MARCH 26, 2020 (MAP UPDATE)

https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-march-26-2020-map-update/

MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON MARCH 25, 2020 (MAP UPDATE)

https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-march-25-2020-map-update/

(* B K P)

Spotlight: Yemen's warring parties focus more on military activities despite coronavirus threat

As many nations around the world are fighting the spread of the novel coronavirus, Yemen's warring factions are still focusing on their military activities rather than preparing for a possible outbreak.

The Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebel group are intensifying their efforts to spark new battles in different parts of the war-ravaged Arab country despite the United Nations' call for cease-fire.

Last week, hundreds of the government troops backed by modern armored vehicles arrived in the strategic city of Shuqrah on the Arabian Sea and began preparing for military offensives in the country's southern part.

In the strategic city of Shuqrah, the Yemeni government forces also began conducting military maneuvers attended by high-ranking commanders who arrived recently from the northeastern province of Marib.

An official of the Yemeni government forces told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that the Saudi-brokered power-sharing deal signed between the Southern Transition Council (STC) and his government has completely ended.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-03/27/c_138921126.htm

(B K)

Film: Yemen war: A Tale of Two Kitties

A letter from an unlikely source made its way to a rescue cat living happily on the outskirts of London. It carried an offer of friendship from the besieged Yemeni city of Taiz.

Taiz is a major battleground in Yemen’s civil war, which has just entered its sixth year.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-52054643/yemen-war-a-tale-of-two-kitties

(* B K P)

Film: Could the coronavirus pandemic provide relief in Yemen?

The United Nations has called for a ceasefire on the fifth anniversary of Yemen's civil war.

Much of the world's focus is on the growing coronavirus pandemic.

And as the war on the disease is stepped up, the United Nations is calling for a ceasefire in other wars - such as in Syria and Yemen - saying people should be fighting the outbreak, not each other.

The warring sides in Yemen are cautiously backing the UN's appeal.

Five years of conflict have killed at least 100,000 people and created the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

What are the prospects of ending the conflict?

Presenter: Bernard Smith; Guests: Hussain Al-Bukhaiti - journalist and commentator on Houthi affairs; Afrah Nasser - researcher on Yemen for Human Rights Watch; Elisabeth Kendall - senior research fellow in Arabic and Islamic studies at Pembroke College, University of Oxford

https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2020/03/coronavirus-pandemic-provide-relief-yemen-200326193601863.html = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqN--xLGths

(* B K)

Yemen Analysts Do Not See End to Conflict

British Yemen expert Helen Lackner says the conflict appears to have no solution.

"These policymakers, as far as the Yemenis are concerned, are actively promoting the fighting. I've call them barbaric because they are encouraging this war to continue, and they don't care one bit about the millions who are suffering. This is just totally outrageous," she told VOA.

Lackner says that at the end of 2019, the conflict seemed to wind down, but two major agreements failed to move forward.

"There has been a serious flare-up in the fighting since January," Lackner said. "One is the complete collapse of the so-called Riyadh agreement, with the situation in the south being absolutely on the verge of blowing up again anytime. And in the rest of the country, the Houthis have started the major offensive. They're now threatening Marib governorate, which was proclaimed as a haven of stability."

As negotiations collapsed, hostilities resumed and then escalated, says Gulf analyst Cinzia Bianco of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

"I can only expect it to worsen if the Houthis will decide to follow through on their apparent intention of extending their offensive towards the heart of the Marib province — quite a relevant province in the overall purview of the war," Bianco told VOA. "In the near term, there is going to be two separate escalations. One in the Marib area in the north, and the other in the south, along the Red Sea coast, probably between the southern transition council and the Hadi government."

Bianco says the Houthis have shown that they are able to escalate fighting without support from their backer — Iran — which is currently battling a massive coronavirus outbreak.

https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/yemen-analysts-do-not-see-end-conflict

(A P)

Pax Christ Germany leads online protest against arms fuelling Yemen conflict

Peace and human rights organizations of Europe are protesting against arms exports from Europe that are fuelling the war in Yemen.

As the conflict in Yemen entered its 6th year on Wednesday, human rights, peace and humanitarian groups from 10 European countries launched an online protest against those fuelling the war.

Pax Christi Germany, together with over 30 non-governmental peace and human rights organizations of Europe, are protesting against arms exports from Europe fuelling the "forgotten" war in Yemen.

Among the protesters are the Italian Network for Disarmament and the UK-based Campaign against arms trafficking (CAAT).

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2020-03/pax-christi-germany-online-protest-yemen-war-europe-arms-supply.html

(* B K P)

Experts believe Saudi Arabia looking for a way out of Yemen war

Saudi Arabia is said to be looking to find a way out of its devastating war in Yemen nearly five years after it led a coalition of Arab States against Houthi rebels backed by rival Iran.

The Gulf kingdom is believed to have felt even more isolated after its main regional ally, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), reduced its military presence in Yemen in 2019, in a bid to reduce its losses there.

A Western official familiar with the kingdom’s policy in Yemen said that “like the UAE, the Saudis want to say this war is over for us, but the situation on the ground is very difficult.”

A research fellow in the Bernstein Programme on Gulf and Energy Policy at The Washington Institute, Elana DeLozier, said: “The Saudis are in the best position to do this [end the war] because they have relationships with all the major players in Yemen.”

However, she warned that “Saudi Arabia’s ability to manoeuvre and end the war on acceptable terms may be diminishing.”

Thomas Juneau, an associate professor at Ottawa University, Canada, said in an analysis published by the Sanaa Centre for Strategic Studies that “Riyadh believes that its sudden withdrawal will weaken the coalition or lead to its disintegration, which serves the Houthis and their external support, Iran.”

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200326-experts-believe-saudi-arabia-looking-for-a-way-out-of-yemen-war/

(* B K)

After 5 years, Saudi Arabia is finally on the verge of defeat in Yemen

After five years, in fact, it is fair to say that the Saudis and their mercenaries are on the verge of defeat. The Yemeni armed forces and “popular committees” which include Houthi forces are continuing their advances with their sights set firmly on the stronghold of Marib and the pro-Hadi, Islah militia which makes up the coalition-backed force on the ground.

The province of Marib is currently facing onslaughts on several main fronts

The terrain, internal divisions among the mercenary forces, local distrust of Hadi and the relative ease of establishing relations in tribal areas captured by the Houthis are also reasons for their advance. Developments in missile defence systems which, according to the Yemeni armed forces, have been effective against some Saudi air strikes.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200326-after-5-years-saudi-arabia-is-finally-on-the-verge-of-defeat-in-yemen/

(* B H P)

Audio: Babel: Translating the Middle East

[Various podcasts: Coronavirus in the Middle east; Solar energy at Sanaa; Jihadist poetry]

https://www.csis.org/podcasts/babel-translating-middle-east

(B H P)

Die Dauerkatastrophe

Seit fünf Jahren wütet der Krieg im Jemen

Dabei ist die Situation auch militärisch aussichtslos: Hadi, der sich in Saudi-Arabien aufhält, wird von der internationalen Gemeinschaft behandelt, als habe er die Kontrolle über das Land, und als könne er nun auch die Ausbreitung des Coronavirus bekämpfen - eine massive Herausforderung, denn Beatmungsgeräte, Schutzkleidung, Medikamente fehlen flächendeckend, und die spärlichen Lieferungen der WHO stoßen auf allerlei Widerstände. So fordert die Hadi-Regierung, dass Güter für die Gebiete unter Houthi-Kontrolle über den Hafen in Aden eingeführt werden.

https://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/1134735.die-dauerkatastrophe.html

(* B H K)

Film: Yemen Could Not Cope With Cholera...Coronavirus Will Kill Us' (Radhya Almutawakel)

We speak to Radhya Almutawakel, Chairperson of Mwatana for Human Rights on the Yemen War. She discusses Western arms sales to the country and support for Saudi Arabia and UAE, why Yemen is not prepared for the arrival of Coronavirus after health facilities have been decimated, the likely scale of the Coronavirus crisis in her country should it arrive considering the largest outbreak of cholera in history happened in Yemen, why the Yemen War must end to stop the spread of Coronavirus and more!

"In September 2014, #Houthis took over #Sanaa by force. The idea of war was there in the minds of people, and many didn't expect the military intervention from Arab countries in March 2015"

"The international community especially #UK, #US & #France can do a lot to stop the war in #Yemen. Peace in Yemen is possible and never happens, and arms sales is one of the reasons"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltnv2TyOztE

Snippets: https://twitter.com/MwatanaEn/status/1242817856519262209

(* B K P)

YEMEN’S PROXY WARS EXPLAINED

Five years ago today, Yemen became a new front in the “Middle East Cold War” when a Saudi-led coalition intervened to restore President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power.

The international dimension in Yemen mirrors other civil wars—about 60 percent of which experience third-party interventions that often worsen the fighting.

Today, a complex web of “proxy relationships” fuel Yemen’s war—from the UAE’s support of separatists in the south, to Saudi Arabia’s support for Hadi’s faltering ground forces, and Iran’s covert assistance to the Houthis, who made recent gains in central Yemen as UN-brokered negotiations falter. These countries’ loyalties and aims have shifted over time, depending on their evolving security and political interests.

What do these regional powers want in Yemen?

http://politicalviolenceataglance.org/2020/03/26/yemens-proxy-wars-explained/

My comment: The main powers behind the stage – the US and the UK – are not even mentioned. By this way you cannot explain any proxy war in Yemen.

(* B K P)

ACAPS Briefing Note: Yemen - Escalation of conflict in Al-Jawf and Marib governorates (24 March 2020)

At the end of February Houthi forces made significant gains in Al Jawf governorate, including taking control of Hazm, the provincial capital. As of mid-March, Houthi forces continue to advance on Marib governorate to the east.

This potentially opens a new frontline and if successful in holding newly captured territory, may shift the balance of power more into the hands of Houthis. Fighting between government and Houthi forces in and around Nihm and Al Jawf has led to the forced displacement of 5,700 families (39,900 people) into Marib governorate. IDPs are in need of humanitarian assistance, in particular shelter.

Large scale fighting in and around Marib city would lead to immense humanitarian need in a governorate that, prior to the recent influx was already hosting over 750,000 IDPs. Fighting in Marib risks further displacement of up to 500,000 people. As fighting escalates humanitarian access may be almost entirely blocked, as major highways into the governorate are cut off.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/acaps-briefing-note-yemen-escalation-conflict-al-jawf-and-marib-governorates-24-march

(* B K)

Yemen war: Third of all Gulf airstrikes hitting civilian targets, new data reveals, as country marks fifth anniversary of ruinous conflict

Nearly a third of all Gulf coalition air raids on Yemen have hit civilian targets including hospitals, schools and food stores, new data has revealed, as the war-ravaged country marks the fifth anniversary of the conflict amid the coronavirus crisis.

According to the Yemen Data Project, more than 18,400 civilians have been killed or injured by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies since they launched a bombing campaign in 2015 to oust the Iran-backed Houthis and restore the government.

Over 8,600, a quarter of them women and children, were killed across tens of thousands of raids, marking 70 per cent of the total civilian death toll documented by rights groups.

The same report said over the last five years coalition aircraft have bombed medical facilities including hospitals and clinics 83 times, killing 95 civilians and injuring a further 116.

Over 60 food stores have also been hit, alongside 134 water and electricity facilities.

The Gulf coalition has repeatedly denied it targets civilians and maintains its Joint Incident Assessment Team (JIAT) investigates the impact of its raids to check violations.

However, the JIAT has been accused by rights groups of mostly absolving the coalition.

“The data clearly shows that over the five years [the coalition] has been consistently hitting civilian targets. That’s indisputable,” said the Yemen Data Project’s Iona Craig, adding that on average the alliance causes 10 civilian casualties a day.

“It’s not just hospitals and medical facilities you have to take into account. It’s the bombing of water and electricity infrastructure, the impact on food supply lines with food storage facilities and crucial road bridges being hit too,” she added.

“Mass civilian casualty events are still happening even when there are fewer airstrikes,” she added.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/yemen-gulf-airstrike-civilian-deaths-houthis-a9424566.html

My comment: All this is NOT new. And the “West” complicit. One of the main “Western values”: Bombing civilians is a valuable business model.

(* B K P)

Houthi Advances Complicate the Saudi Path Out of Yemen

A precipitous withdrawal risks greater instability and further disintegration of the war-torn country.

Houthi ground forces have advanced in areas of northern Yemen previously considered out of their reach.

These advances, coupled with the fact that the Saudi-led coalition is fragmented internally, add credence to the view that the Houthi rebels have already won the war. In such a circumstance, the rebels will be far less inclined to offer concessions, complicating Riyadh’s efforts to make a face-saving withdrawal.

Even as the war threatens to engulf areas of Yemen that, until now, had been relatively calm, Saudi negotiators continue efforts to strike a formula with their Houthi counterparts to secure the kingdom’s southern border, which is fundamental to Riyadh’s ability to end its military involvement in Yemen.

Besides, Riyadh could provide the economic assistance needed to rebuild Saada and revitalize its economy. Riyadh can also ensure the Houthis receive a level of representation in any future national unity government commensurate with the control they currently exert over the country.

The challenge for Saudi Arabia, then, is to resist the temptation to cut and run from Yemen without laying the groundwork for a sustainable political solution to reverse Yemen’s disintegration. The alternative, striking a deal with the Houthis that only secures its border, would virtually extinguish prospects of a broader, national negotiation, inviting the most extreme Houthi elements to leverage their recent gains on the ground and pursue a military end to the war.

To prevent this scenario, and the further deterioration of Yemen’s already woeful humanitarian situation, Saudi Arabia needs to remain engaged politically, and the United States is the country that could most likely persuade it to do so – by ex-ambassador Stephen A. Seche

https://agsiw.org/houthi-advances-complicate-the-saudi-path-out-of-yemen/

My comment: This is a strange reasoning. Why it should be necessary that the Houthis are forced to make greater concessions to the Saudis? Any peace is essential for the security of the Saudi southern border – even with a strong Houthi government guaranteeing this security as part of a peace agreement. All the rest cannot be any Saudi or US business.

(* B K P)

After 5 years of war in Yemen, American complicity must end

On this heartbreaking 5th anniversary of the war, the United States must end the obstruction of humanitarian assistance, press for a nationwide ceasefire, and support a diplomatic settlement to the war.

After five years of war, roughly 14 million people are at risk of famine and over 24 million people rely on food assistance for survival. Aid agencies have described Yemen as the worst place on earth to be a child, with the conflict claiming the lives of at least 85,000 under the age of five. More than 2 million people have been infected with cholera, while an alarming dengue and influenza epidemic is gripping the country.

Our Constitution is designed to let the people - through their elected representatives - decide whether and when our nation goes to war. This ensures such decisions are not taken lightly and, in theory, that we don’t get bogged down in endless wars. Congress has not authorized military action in Yemen, and therefore should not permit funds to be used in support of the fighting.

After five years of unimaginable human suffering, Yemen can’t wait any longer. Congress must renew its efforts to end military support for the war. By forcing more votes to prohibit unauthorized military support and weapon sales, Congress can pressure the warring parties to sit at the bargaining table and bring this devastating war to an end.

https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/489381-after-5-years-of-war-in-yemen-american-complicity-must-end

(* B P)

Amnesty International: Yemen: Illegal detention remains rife after five years of war

Unlawful detention during the ongoing conflict in Yemen - ranging from politically-motivated death sentences, to forcibly disappearing and torturing detainees in ‘black sites’ - remain rife ahead on the fifth anniversary of the war, Amnesty International said today.

Since the current conflict erupted in March 2015, scores of people – including journalists, academics and members of the Baha’i faith – have been disappeared and detained, primarily because of their human rights activism, political affiliation or their conscientiously-held beliefs.

“The last five years of relentless conflict have been a breeding ground for serious violations against detainees on both sides – in some cases amounting to war crimes,” said Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International’s Middle East Research Director.

“Huthi forces have detained dozens of people – including those of the Baha’i faith – on trumped-up charges and many have been sentenced to death. It is absolutely abhorrent that so many members of the Baha’i community remain at risk of execution for their conscientiously-held beliefs and peaceful activities.

“We call for the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience in Yemen, and for truth and justice in the many cases of enforced disappearance and torture linked to unlawful detention.”

In the past year alone, the Huthis and their allied forces have stepped up their use of an anti-terrorism court as a way to settle political scores, often handing down death sentences on spurious accusations of espionage and “aiding an enemy country” following grossly unfair trials. Meanwhile, UAE forces and their allies in southern Yemen have been running a network of secret detention sites where they forcibly disappeared and tortured dozens of individuals, in what amount to war crimes.

To mark the anniversary, Amnesty International will launch a year-long campaign focusing on arbitrary detentions, specifically on cases that constitute violations of freedom of expression, association and religion.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/03/yemen-illegal-detention-remains-rife-after-five-years-of-war/

(* B K P)

Five years on, Saudi struggles to escape Yemen quagmire

Five years after launching its much-criticised military intervention in Yemen, Saudi Arabia is stuck in a costly quagmire with no exit in sight while it grapples with multiple crises at home.

Riyadh had expected a quick victory when it led a multi-billion dollar intervention in 2015 to oust Iran-backed Huthi rebels, under a newly assertive foreign policy led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

But exposing the limitations of its military prowess, Saudi Arabia has failed to uproot the rebels from their northern strongholds and struggled to quell deadly infighting between its allies in southern Yemen.

It stands largely alone in facing these challenges after the United Arab Emirates -- its principal regional ally -- drew down its military presence in Yemen in what some saw as an attempt to limit its losses.

But there appears to be no easy exit for Saudi Arabia.

"Like the Emiratis, the Saudis would like to say 'this war is over for us'," a Western official with knowledge of Riyadh's Yemen policy told AFP. "But the situation on the ground is very challenging."

But for now there appears to be no prospect of an end to the Yemen campaign, which Saudi officials have defended as vital to take on what it calls the threat of Iranian expansionism.

"Riyadh believes, correctly, that its sudden withdrawal would... benefit the Huthis -- and their external benefactor, Iran," Thomas Juneau, an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa, wrote for the Sanaa Center think tank.

"At the same time, Riyadh wants to reduce the costs of its intervention in Yemen. It has come to realise that the financial and military costs are unsustainable."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-8149601/Five-years-Saudi-struggles-escape-Yemen-quagmire.html

(* B H K)

Jemen: 40 Angriffe gegen ein einziges Spital in Taiz

Innerhalb von etwas mehr als zwei Jahren wurde das grösste Spital der Stadt Taiz 40 Mal beschossen oder sonst gewaltsam angegriffen. Ärzte ohne Grenzen fordert von allen Konfliktparteien, den willkürlichen Beschuss der Stadt einzustellen und militärische Einrichtungen nicht in der Nähe von Gesundheitseinrichtungen oder dicht bewohnten Gebieten zu platzieren.

Der letzte Angriff auf die von Ärzte ohne Grenzen/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) unterstützte Al-Thawra-Klinik ereignete sich während der Kämpfe im Osten der Stadt am 13. März, als das Gebäude mehrfach durch Granatbeschuss getroffen wurde.

Schon eine Woche zuvor war die Klinik beschossen worden. Das Labor war beschädigt und ein Mediziner verletzt worden. Seit 2018 zählte Ärzte ohne Grenzen 40 Gewaltvorfälle gegen das Spital und seine Mitarbeiter, darunter Beschuss durch Granaten und Kleinfeuerwaffen, Schiessereien innerhalb und in unmittelbarer Nähe der Klinik sowie Angriffe und Drohungen gegen Personal. Die Angriffe gingen von Konfliktparteien auf beiden Seiten der Front aus.

„Als Mediziner bist du in diesem Spital jederzeit in Gefahr. Die meisten meiner Kollegen sind nach den vielen Angriffen nicht mehr hergekommen.“ Mitarbeiter der Al-Thawra-Klinik

https://www.msf.ch/de/neueste-beitraege/pressemitteilung/jemen-40-angriffe-gegen-ein-einziges-spital-taiz

The report in English had already been linked earlier: https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-health-facilities-face-indiscriminate-attacks-taiz-city

cp2a Saudische Blockade / Saudi blockade

(* B H P)

Over 40,000 Died due to Sana’a International Airport Closure by US-Saudi Aggression

The [Sanaa gov.] Ministry of Human Rights advisor, Hamid Al-Rafeeq, confirmed that more than 40,000 patients died due to the closure of Sana'a International Airport during the years of the US-Saudi aggression. "The health system was exposed to the aggression targeting, even hospitals supervised by international organizations," Al-Rafeeq said in an interview with Almasirah channel.

https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=11925

cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation

Siehe / Look at cp1

(* B H)

Einsatz bei Ärzte ohne Grenzen

Der Anästhesist und Notfallmediziner Dr. Götz Gerresheim aus Neumarkt hat das internationale Team in Aden für vier Wochen unterstützt. Dr. Gerresheim ist regelhaft als Oberarzt der Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin unter der Leitung von Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schwemmer tätig und beendete nun seinen sechsten Einsatz mit „Ärzte ohne Grenzen“.

„Alle unsere Patienten waren Opfer von Gewalt“, berichtet der 50-jährige Narkosearzt. „Die meisten unserer Patienten stammten direkt aus dem Großraum von Aden und hatten Schussverletzungen erlitten. Sicher 80 Prozent der Patienten, die ich zusammen mit den einheimischen Ärzten alltäglich in der Notaufnahme behandelt habe, wurden durch einen oder mehrere Schüsse verletzt. Dabei war aber nicht jede Schussverletzung gleich ein Notfall, manchmal galt es nur eine Fleischwunde zu versorgen, andere Male - gerade wenn große Blutgefäße verletzt wurden - musste es ganz schnell gehen und wir sind gleich in den Operationssaal gefahren.“, führt der Arzt ruhig aus.

Die eigentliche Frontlinie der Kämpfe verläuft zurzeit gut 150 km weiter nördlich – dort sind weitere Teams von Ärzte ohne Grenzen vor Ort, die einige Patienten nach einer ersten Stabilisierung nach Aden verlegt haben. „Wir haben täglich zwei Patienten von den anderen Teams übernommen“, schätzt Dr. Gerresheim, „die hatten dann meist komplexe Verletzungen durch Explosionen.“ Ärzte ohne Grenzen konnte diese größere Klinik in Aden aufbauen, da die Sicherheitslage dort zurzeit recht stabil ist und so konnten auch Patienten mit komplizierten Verletzungen behandelt werden. „Ich war wirklich sehr von der medizinischen Behandlungsqualität vor Ort beeindruckt. Man merkte, dass alle gemeinsam das Beste erreichen wollten und medizinisch hatte ich viel mehr Möglichkeiten als in meinen anderen Projekten. Die einfache Tatsache, dass wir kontinuierlich Strom zur Verfügung hatten, erweiterte die Möglichkeiten deutlich. Wir haben zum Beispiel eine Intensivstation eingerichtet, auf der wir die besonders kritisch Verletzten nach großen Operationen für ein paar Tage künstlich beatmen konnten. Das war für mehrere Menschen in meiner Zeit ganz sicher rettend.“

„Ganz persönlich habe ich mich während meines Einsatzes immer sicher gefühlt“, so der Mediziner. „Man hat oft die Schüsse in den Straßen gehört, deswegen durften wir das Krankenhaus auch nicht verlassen, es gab aber keinen Moment, in dem ich an unserer Sicherheit gezweifelt habe.“

https://www.neumarkt-tv.de/2020/03/27/einsatz-bei-%C3%A4rzte-ohne-grenzen/

(* B H)

Five years on Yemenis yearn for a way out in the face of adversity

It has been five very long, frightening and sorrowful years since the lives of Yemeni citizens were quite literally turned upside down.

Today, the situation in Yemen is one of the worst humanitarian crises in decades. It is the world’s largest human induced crisis and has seen armed conflict, displacement, risk of famine, disease outbreaks and severe economic decline.

“Every day, almost 16 million people wake up hungry. Even basic supplies are so scarce or expensive that families can’t put food on the table and mothers are so malnourished they cannot breastfeed their babies. These children, so weakened by hunger, are perfect prey for diseases like cholera and diarrhoea which drain them of the little strength they have left”, says Naser Haghamed, CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide.

After almost five years of intense conflict in Yemen, an estimated 24 million people (around 80% of the population) are in need of humanitarian aid to survive. This is more than any other country in the world.

Islamic Relief has been providing an emergency response since the conflict in Yemen started. This work has reached more than 3.4 million people in 2019 alone, spanning across many sectors including food aid, water, sanitation and hygiene, nutrition and healthcare.

We’ve also worked hard to offer our help and support to orphans and to protect child welfare.

https://www.islamic-relief.org/five-years-on-yemenis-yearn-for-a-way-out-in-the-face-of-adversity/

Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAonecQcDzM

And

(B H)

Yemen Annual Report 2019: Responding to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis

Five years since the conflict began in Yemen, its people remain gripped by one of the worst humanitarian crises in decades. Every day, almost 16 million people wake up hungry. Without food assistance this would jump to 20 million overnight.

Even basic supplies are so scarce or expensive that families can’t put food on the table and mothers are so malnourished they cannot breastfeed their babies. These children, so weakened by hunger, are perfect prey for diseases like cholera and diarrhea which drain them of the little strength they have left.

In Yemen today, thousands of children are hovering on the brink between life and death. By the time their families get them to one of the more than 50 emergency nutrition centres we run they’re too weak even to cry. No child should have to experience this and I’m haunted by the suffering I saw in their eyes during a visit to the country last year.

The medicines work well but as soon as the children go home, they fall victim to the cycle of starvation and disease again. When they inevitably return for treatment, they arrive that little bit weaker until for many, I fear, time runs out.

In 2019, our teams worked tirelessly to scale up support and I pledged that Islamic Relief will provide an additional USD 7 million worth of aid to Yemen.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-annual-report-2019-responding-world-s-worst-humanitarian-crisis

(* B H)

WFP Yemen Country Brief, February 2020

Operational Updates

On 03 February, a humanitarian medical bridge became operational for civilians suffering from conditions that cannot be treated inside Yemen. UN flights carried the patients from Sana’a to hospitals in Amman and Cairo, as a temporary solution to reduce the suffering of Yemeni people until a more sustainable solution is reached.

WFP opened the Healthy School Meals kitchen.
Fresh meals are distributed to 5,750 children in four schools in Aden city, in low income neighbourhoods that host large numbers of IDPs and refugees. They are prepared with locally procured ingredients and in line with nutrition standards and local food culture. The Healthy Kitchen employs a cooking team of 35 staff members, 29 of which are women, and will scale up to reach 10,000 students in Aden by the end of April.

Milling operations for WFP wheat at the Red Sea Mills (RSM) in Hudaydah continued in February. As of 29 February, a total of 23,734 mt of wheat flour were produced which was dispatched to WFP warehouses in Sana’a and Ibb governorates.

Food commodity prices have risen significantly, and food and other essential goods are becoming inaccessible for millions. The value of the Yemeni riyal has dropped 15 percent in the south and about 7 percent in the north, making life even harder for many families in Yemen, particularly those living across frontlines.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/wfp-yemen-country-brief-february-2020

(B H)

WFP Yemen Situation Report #02, February 2020

Highlights:

In February, WFP reached 12.4 million Yemenis with general food assistance (GFA), achieving 95 percent of the operational plan. Of those reached, 9.4 million people received in-kind food assistance, 2.6 million people received commodity vouchers (CV-TN), and 429,807 people received cash transfers (CBT).

WFP Yemen has a six-month (March 2020-August 2020) net funding requirement of USD 837 million and urgently needs additional resources to continue operations unimpeded.

In Numbers:

24.1 million people in need of humanitarian assistance*

3.65 million people internally displaced

20.1 million people are food insecure

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/wfp-yemen-situation-report-02-february-2020

(* B H)

Intolerable Choices: Women Caught Between Violent Marriages and Divorces

Divorce remains one of the pressures that patriarchal societies use against women. When women refuse to continue with marriages that cause them to suffer, they think twice before resorting to divorce due to the social consequences that threaten their chances of a dignified life afterwards. Though it should be a right, ideally enshrined in law, divorce comes with a high price that traps women between impossible options, where they have to choose between their mental/physical health or attempting to co-exist with a society that strips them of their basic rights. Consequently, many women end up living in silence while suffering from life with a violent partner so that they do not suffer from the socially inflicted stigma that comes with the ‘divorced’ title. Many women experience verbal, emotional and physical violence from their husbands. However, they end up staying in these violent marriages out of fear of their limited options, and suffering further after getting a divorce.

Women are afraid of losing custody of their children and they fear deprivation of basic financial rights under unjust legislation. Additionally, many women fear the stigma attached to divorced women, which also triggers fear of loneliness and reduces their chances of living with dignity with a future partner. Some women hesitate when it comes to getting a divorce because they do not have anywhere else to go, especially when they are not economically independent.

Some women keep silent for a very long time while experiencing violence and abuse. They try to find distractions from a violent husband and society in their daily duties. Family counselor, Altaf al-Ahdal, the head of the social work department at the Taiz office of the Ministry of Social Affairs, says that women keep silent out of fear and lack of economic independence. Depriving girls of education adds another layer to the problem. Al-Ahdal adds: “Families fear the social stigmatization of divorced women. This is why they keep women under the constraint of tradition, and this is what contributes to silencing women before violent husbands.”

Women also fear living in loneliness and an emotional vacuum. Additionally, there is fear for the children who have to endure the stigma that follows them for having divorced mothers. Many young women escape their abusive male relatives to marriages that end up repeating the same violent cycle, and this is why a woman may weigh up her choices and choose to remain with one abusive man instead of multiple men.

https://almadaniyamag.com/2019/12/10/yemen-women-marriages-divorces/

(* B H)

Why Are Yemenis Killing Their Names?

A short while ago, I ordered an item to be delivered to my residence, but I did not have a credit card. I contacted a friend to receive it on my behalf, but I faced problems upon receipt of the order because the company informed me that the name I had given was not the same as the name on my friend’s ID. After many calls and a lot of frustration, I found out that the surname that I had known my friend by was not only different from the one written in her official documents, but it was a name from an area that is currently on the side fighting against her governorate in the ongoing conflict in Yemen. My friend did not need to explain any further as the tampering with Yemeni names has been widespread for a long time. As was common, the family name had been changed to protect the family from a crackdown after her father escaped from one governorate to another, then out of Yemen, escaping with his life four decades ago. Despite the relative triviality of this incident – discovering that my friend’s family was using a fake family name – it is another small detail of Yemeni conflicts, old and new, that brings up an important question that Yemenis are asking today: why did the hiding and changing of names become a widespread practice?

The political conflicts in Yemen have not only affected the physical existence of Yemeni civilians, they have also affected their symbolic existence: their names and family names. For them to survive, a part of them has to die – and is there a worse death than leaving behind a part of yourself?

Abdulbari Taher, an intellectual, says: “There is no single reason for the phenomenon of concealing names in Yemen. There are a number of reasons, including, for example, trying to escape from vendettas and revenge.

https://almadaniyamag.com/2019/12/18/yemenis-names/

(* B H)

Five lives forever changed by Yemen’s war

After five years of conflict in Yemen, five people reflect on what this has meant for them and their families. Their stories highlight the human cost of Yemen’s war, yet at the same time the country’s amazing resilience, dignity and hope.

Since the start of the conflict in Yemen five years ago, the World Food Programme (WFP) has gone from feeding 1 million people a month to over 12 million. The threat of famine, so far averted by the huge humanitarian response, still looms over the country. Over 3.65 million people have been displaced and millions more have lost their livelihoods as the war has wrought economic collapse.

Below, five Yemenis explain what the past five years have meant for them and their families.

Rania, a teacher from Hodeidah (displaced in Lahj)

Rania worked in a local school in Hodeidah, her hometown. She loved her job. But then one day the tanks rolled into the school playground. Her classroom was transformed overnight into a military barrack. She realized it was time to leave.

Rania and her five children fled south and sought refuge in a camp for internally displaced people in Lahj, where they receive monthly cash assistance from WFP.

“When we were first displaced, we remembered our old life with sadness,” says Rania.

But she did not forget her passion for teaching, quickly finding new purpose to her life in the camp.

“I noticed that all the displaced children had too much free time,” she explains. “They were quarrelling all the time and creating problems for their families. So, I started teaching them. In the morning it was reading and writing, and in the afternoon, I started sessions for memorizing the Holy Quran.”

Rania’s students often tell her stories of what happened to them during the war — horrifying tales of violence and forced recruitment.

“The war has influenced and damaged so many children psychologically. What I am trying to do is ensure safety for my children and other children here in this camp.

“I want our children to be educated. I want them to pursue their ambitions no matter what conditions we live in. I want my daughter to be a doctor and my son to be a police officer, because our children are the forces of change in Yemen.”

https://insight.wfp.org/five-lives-forever-changed-by-yemens-war-118026768ae7

(* B H)

Wie der Krieg im Jemen wirklich ist

Im Jemen sind mehr Menschen auf humanitäre Hilfe angewiesen als irgendwo sonst auf der Welt. 24 Millionen Menschen brauchen humanitäre Hilfe. Etwa die Hälfte der Bevölkerung steht kurz vor einer Hungersnot, noch mehr haben keinen Zugang zu Trinkwasser und Hygieneeinrichtungen. Betroffene berichten.

Seit Jahren gleichen sich die Schlagzeilen. Wir lassen betroffene Menschen sprechen: Badr Abdulla, Fatima Saeed und Samiha Ali berichten darüber, wie es ist, im Krieg zu leben, Verwandte zu verlieren, fliehen zu müssen – und dabei trotzdem allem stark zu bleiben.

„Überall wurde geschossen. Mit Flugzeugen und Mörsergranaten. Wir mussten fliehen.“

Samiha Ali lebt in einem Camp für Vertriebene im Gouvernement Taiz. In dem Lager leben fast 1.000 Menschen, die vor dem Krieg geflohen sind. Im August 2019 kam es in der Nähe des Lagers zu mehreren Kampfhandlungen, weshalb die humanitäre Hilfe temporär eingeschränkt war. Auch Oxfam musste die Arbeit mehrfach einstellen.

Wir sind wegen des Krieges geflohen. Überall wurde geschossen. Mit Flugzeugen und Mörsergranaten. Wir mussten fliehen.

Wir hatten in diesem Monat so viel Angst, dass wir geflohen sind. Unsere Kinder waren panisch. Wir hatten kein Zuhause mehr. Dann kamen wir hierher und blieben in diesen Zelten.

Wir hatten nichts. Kein Wasser, kein Essen. Dann unterstützten uns Oxfam, IOM (International Organization for Migration und UNHCR (The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees).

Früher mussten wir leiden, weil wir kein Wasser hatten. Aber jetzt sind wir zufrieden mit Oxfams Wasserprojekt. Gott sei Dank.

https://www.oxfam.de/ueber-uns/aktuelles/krieg-jemen-wirklich

(* B H)

Film: Yemen: Five years of conflict leaves millions suffering

Thursday marks five years since the beginning of Yemen's continuing civil war.

The Saudi-led coalition's involvement has had a devastating effect on the mental health of an entire generation of children, pushing some to the brink of depression.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/yemen-years-conflict-leaves-millions-children-suffering-200325103616842.html = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkvy_oG5H_Y = https://www.msn.com/en-ca/video/animals/yemen-five-years-of-conflict-leaves-millions-of-children-suffering/vp-BB11Gvyw

(* B H K)

Fünf Jahre Krieg im Jemen: Cholera und Chaos

Am 26. März jährt sich der Beginn des Jemen-Krieges zum fünften Mal. Die UNO-Flüchtlingshilfe bezeichnet die Zustände im Land als humanitäre Katastrophe und fordert ein Ende der Kämpfe. Mehr als 24 Millionen Jemeniten brauchen humanitäre Unterstützung. Allein seit 2015 wurden über 3,6 Millionen Menschen vertrieben und leben seitdem als Binnenflüchtlinge im Land. Hilfe ist aber nur zu 17 Prozent finanziert. Über 190.000 Jemeniten sind in andere Länder geflohen. Doch auch die Bedingungen in den Nachbarländern, wie Somalia, sind so aussichtslos, dass über 270.000 Flüchtlinge und Asylsuchende im Jemen Schutz suchen. Die Zivilbevölkerung leidet unter Armut, Hunger, Krankheiten und Bombardements. 2017 brach im Jemen die weltweit schlimmste Cholera-Epidemie aus, die je dokumentiert wurde. Die Folgen einer Corona-Pandemie im Jemen wären verheerend.

"Das Land liegt nach fünf Jahren am Boden, die Menschen sind verzweifelt. Kommt es nach der Cholera nun zu einer Corona-Verbreitung, droht ein humanitäres Inferno. Es helfen nur zwei Punkte: Frieden und finanzielle Unterstützung", fasst Peter Ruhenstroth-Bauer, Geschäftsführer der UNO-Flüchtlingshilfe, zusammen.

https://www.presseportal.de/pm/63012/4556827

(* B H)

Audio: Scott Paul on Yemen’s Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis

Scott Paul discusses the looming cholera outbreak in Yemen as the country prepares for yet another rainy season. Thanks to U.S.-backed Saudi bombing of critical infrastructure, the people of Yemen lack the tools to fight cholera: basic nutrition and clean water. Paul describes the state of the overrun, under-equipped Yemeni hospitals, warning of their inability to deal with the current crisis, let alone what could happen if the coronavirus spreads there. Scott reminds the audience that President Trump could pretty much end this war with a single phone call, but instead continues to placate Saudi Arabia. Scott Paul leads Oxfam America’s policy advocacy on a number of emergencies and cross-cutting humanitarian issues

https://libertarianinstitute.org/scotthortonshow/3-20-20-scott-paul-on-yemens-ongoing-humanitarian-crisis/

(B H)

Leid ohne Ende: Fünf Jahre Bürgerkrieg im Jemen

Bündnisorganisationen von "Aktion Deutschland Hilft" leisten auch während der Corona-Pandemie dringend notwendige Hilfe

Seit fünf Jahren herrscht im Jemen Krieg. Leidtragend ist die jemenitische Bevölkerung. Flucht, Krankheit und Hunger sind inzwischen traurige Normalität. Die erschreckende Bilanz: Über 3,6 Millionen Jemeniten wurden aus ihren Heimatorten vertrieben, schätzungsweise 2,2 Millionen Menschen erkrankten an Cholera und mehr als 1,2 Millionen Kinder, Frauen und Männer leiden Hunger.

Trotz der andauernden dramatischen Lage erregen der Konflikt und das Leid der Menschen nur wenig öffentliche Aufmerksamkeit. "Das Coronavirus hält gerade die gesamte Welt in Atem. Wir sind alle persönlich betroffen, da verliert man schnell den Blick für andere Notsituationen. Die Hilfe muss jedoch auch während der Corona-Pandemie weitergehen - das sind wir den Menschen im Jemen schuldig", appelliert Roßbach. Zudem wird es mit steigenden Infektionszahlen in den Nachbarländern immer wahrscheinlicher, dass das Virus sich auch im Jemen verbreitet. "Eine Ausbreitung des Coronavirus im Jemen hätte schwerwiegende Folgen", warnt Roßbach.

Hilfsorganisationen im Bündnis "Aktion Deutschland Hilft" sind trotz schwieriger Bedingungen seit Jahren im Jemen aktiv und leisten auch weiterhin Nothilfe

https://www.presseportal.de/pm/50116/4555755

cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees

(B H)

IOM Yemen | Displacement in Marib | 25 March 2020

Following a spike in conflict activities on 21 January, displacements continue from Sana’a, Marib and Al Jawf governorates, forcing close to 7,000 households (HHs) to flee. Majzar in Marib governorate is the district where the highest number of displaced people originated, while Al Hazam district in Al Jawf governorate is a close second. People are mostly moving – around 95 per cent of displaced HHs - to Marib city, Marib Al Wadi, Raghwan and Medghal districts in Marib governorate.

Displacement numbers are likely to be higher, as movements remain fluid amidst a volatile environment. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are in need of safe shelters, essential aid items, emergency health care, clean water and safe sanitation and food. Since 21 January, IOM and partners have ensured that over 30,000 IDPs – close to 70 per cent of the newly displaced – have received these critical supplies

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/iom-yemen-displacement-marib-25-march-2020-enar

(B H)

Fünf Jahre Krieg im Jemen: Cholera und Chaos

Am 26. März jährt sich der Beginn des Jemen-Krieges zum fünften Mal. Die UNO-Flüchtlingshilfe bezeichnet die Zustände im Land als humanitäre Katastrophe und fordert ein Ende der Kämpfe. Mehr als 24 Millionen Jemeniten brauchen humanitäre Unterstützung. Allein seit 2015 wurden über 3,6 Millionen Menschen vertrieben und leben seitdem als Binnenflüchtlinge im Land. Hilfe ist aber nur zu 17 Prozent finanziert. Über 190.000 Jemeniten sind in andere Länder geflohen. Doch auch die Bedingungen in den Nachbarländern, wie Somalia, sind so aussichtslos, dass über 270.000 Flüchtlinge und Asylsuchende im Jemen Schutz suchen. Die Zivilbevölkerung leidet unter Armut, Hunger, Krankheiten und Bombardements. 2017 brach im Jemen die weltweit schlimmste Cholera-Epidemie aus, die je dokumentiert wurde. Die Folgen einer Corona-Pandemie im Jemen wären verheerend.

„Das Land liegt nach fünf Jahren am Boden, die Menschen sind verzweifelt. Kommt es nach der Cholera nun zu einer Corona-Verbreitung, droht ein humanitäres Inferno. Es helfen nur zwei Punkte: Frieden und finanzielle Unterstützung“, fasst Peter Ruhenstroth-Bauer, Geschäftsführer der UNO-Flüchtlingshilfe, zusammen.

https://www.uno-fluechtlingshilfe.de/informieren/aktuelles/news/uebersicht/detail/artikel/fuenf-jahre-krieg-im-jemen-cholera-und-chaos/

(A H)

In Yemen "city of refugees", panic dissipates panic

Millions of Yemenis who escaped Houthi crackdown to the government-held Marib and made it earn the "city of refugees" title have lived in constant panic from the constant Houthi missile shelling for years. Until the recent spread of coronavirus and with it panic worldwide.

"Covid-19 is a new panic that dissipated the panic from Houthi bombardments," says Layla Al-Azzani a female sophomore at the faculty of English Language at Saba University in Marib.

"Of late the Houthis, as you might know, the Houthis stepped up the missile attacks and killed families in their houses in Aziraah and Arrowdha neighborhoods," she continues, "causing our fright to spike."

"The spread awareness-raising messages that coronavirus is very lethal and could be caught in crowded places caused markets and socializing places to be significantly deserted and fears from the international virus to be eclipsed by fears from the threat of missiles."

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-38642

(* B H)

Film: Meet Samiha, who fled the war in Yemen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4S2Jj9l6vw

(* A H)

Heavy rains destroy tents of hundreds of displaced families in Marib

Heavy downpours washed away the tents of nearly 200 families in Marib governorate's Al-Zubra camp in Al-Ji’dan district, leaving the displaced families exposed to the elements, local sources at the camp told Almasdar Online.

Abdulwahid Radman, head of the Executive Unit for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Sana'a governorate, said that his unit visited Al-Zubra camp and evaluated the tragic situation. He called on relief organizations to intervene quickly to shelter the IDPs affected by the rains in the camp.

For nearly two months, the IDPs of Al-Zubra camp have received no relief or shelter assistance from international organizations, except for some local organizations.

The camp houses more than 200 displaced families, many of whom were displaced from Al-Khaneq IDP camp in Sana’a governorate’s Hareeb Nihm area, due to fighting there at the end of January.

https://al-masdaronline.net/local/521

Fortsetzung: Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 636c / Sequel: Yemen War Mosaic 636c

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-636c-yemen-war-mosaic-636c/

Vorige / Previous:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-635-yemen-war-mosaic-635

Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-635 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-635:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm

Der saudische Luftkrieg im Bild / Saudi aerial war images:

(18 +, Nichts für Sensible!) / (18 +; Graphic!)

http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm

http://yemenwarcrimes.blogspot.de/

http://www.yemenwar.info/

Liste aller Luftangriffe / and list of all air raids:

http://yemendataproject.org/data/

Untersuchung ausgewählter Luftangriffe durch Bellingcat / Bellingcat investigations of selected air raids:

https://yemen.bellingcat.com/

Untersuchungen von Angriffen, hunderte von Filmen / Investigations of attacks, hundreds of films:

https://yemeniarchive.org/en

Dieser Beitrag gibt die Meinung des Autors wieder, nicht notwendigerweise die der Redaktion des Freitag.
Geschrieben von

Dietrich Klose

Vielfältig interessiert am aktuellen Geschehen, zur Zeit besonders: Ukraine, Russland, Jemen, Rolle der USA, Neoliberalismus, Ausbeutung der 3. Welt

Dietrich Klose

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