iomyemenpsumt@iom.int http://www.iom.int/countries/Yemen

155 MILLION USD

5 MILLION People

2020

IOM Yemen Consolidated Appeal1

29 NOVEMBER-12 DECEMBER 2020COVID-19 RESPONSE UPDATEIOM YEMEN

A migrant stands in the informal settlement in Marib where he and other migrants are living in tents and makeshift shelters © IOM 2020

SITUATION OVERVIEW

IOM and partners are preparing for a second wave of COVID-19 in Yemen, as winter and influenza season approach. Already, the limited testing, surveillance and reporting on the virus has meant that information on its spread since March is not fully known. For the anticipated second wave in the months to come, priorities are centred around increasing surveillance and testing, risk communication and community engagement and securing critical supplies. Of importance will be encouraging behavioral changes aimed at reducing community level transmission. The COVID-19 response, however, is challenged by access issues in some areas as well as the fuel, funding and economic downturns that Yemen is experiencing. UN projections point to a challenging period in the months to come, with recent analyses indicating that for the first time in two years, 13.5 million Yemeni’s facing food insecurity, including 16,500 people living in famine like conditions.2. As of 03 October 2020

1. April to December 2020

1,383 Reported Recovered 606 Reported Deaths2 11.84K Tests Conducted2,081 Reported Cases

RETURN SUPPORTHEALTH CARESERVICES

3,800 7,556 MIGRANTS REGISTERED FOR VHR

PEOPLE PROVIDED WITH HEALTH SERVICES

MIGRANTASSISTANCE

3,654 MIGRANTS RECEIVED AID ITEMS

2

IOM YEMEN

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the local authorities in Yemen declared a nationwide health emergency and introduced movement restrictions along key transit and border points. Yemeni authorities had put additional preventive measures and health screenings for people passing through ten transit points used for public movement between southern and northern governorates, specifically at points located in Taizz and Al Bayda. Recently, these restrictions have been loosened and the health screenings have been stopped. For Yemeni returnees from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) through the Al Wadea border entry point, providing a COVID-19 Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test report is mandatory by the Yemeni authorities. Authorities at Al Wadea entry point have installed a PCR testing facility at the entry point for travelers who arrive without a PCR test report.

Since 01 December, IOM teams have recorded 491 displacements across 13 governorates in Yemen. In total, 28,207 household displacements have been recorded since the start of the year. Displacements have been largely driven by conflict in Marib, Al Hudaydah and Taizz, as people flee fighting to safer areas. Although 10,000 COVID-19 related household displacements were recorded as of August, no additional households have since cited COVID-19 as a reason for moving.

COVID-19 & DISPLACEMENT

Reasons for Displacement Top 5 Needs of IDPs Displacement to same or other Governorate or District of Origin

HADRAMAUT

SHABWAH

AL JAWF

SA'ADA

AMANAT ALASIMAH

AMRANHAJJAH

DHAMAR

TAIZZ

IBB

AL BAYDA

LAHJ

ADEN

ABYAN

SANA’A

AL HUDAYDAH

RAYMAH

AL MAHWIT

AL DHALE'E

SOCOTRA

AL MAHARAH

MARIB

ABYAN

LEGEND*

Uno�cial Border Points

COVID-19 cases reported

Sea Border PointAir Port

Land Border Point Internal Transit Point

1,000 300 200 100 50

1,385Displacements in November

27,716 HHS Displaced in 2020

DISPLACEMENT DATA 2020

3

IOM YEMEN

KEY TRENDS

1. Significant reduction in the number of new arrivals in Yemen

2. Increase in barriers to movement resulting in static migrant populations

3. Reduction in available work and other coping mechanisms as well as limited access to health care

4. Increase in stigmatization and harassment

5. Arrests, detention and forced relocations

6. Unsafe return of migrants to Horn of Africa aided by smugglers

This year has seen a significant decline in migrant arrivals into Yemen, while the situation for those stranded in the country has progressively worsened. Barriers to movement brought on by the pandemic, along with constrained local resources due to the deteriorating economy, has meant that at least 14,500 migrants intending to transit through the country while en route to the KSA are stranded with limited access to services. Traditional coping mechanisms have continued to erode, and IOM and partners are responding to the needs of larger groups of vulnerable static migrant populations, particularly in Marib and Aden. Migrants continue to face challenges accessing basic services and health care, with very little sources of income and support from local communities. The protection risks they face have also become more pronounced amidst anti-migrant policies like detention and forced transfers between governorates and reliance on smugglers.

Because of these challenges, more and more migrants are seeking to return home. This is challenging now more than ever due to the impact COVD-19 has had on movement. IOM continues to work with partners to provide safe return solutions. In Aden, since October, IOM has registered over 3,800 migrant applicants for its Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) programme. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and immigration officials from the Government of Ethiopia arrived in Aden on 30 November to verify the nationality of this vulnerable caseload. In total, 1,160 Ethiopian migrants have been verified and the Ethiopian government has committed to issuing travel documents as soon as possible (additional verifications are planned for 2021). With this progress, VHR flights will resume by January 2021, providing lifesaving and safe opportunities for return. In the interim, a cash for work cleaning campaign is engaging 1,200 migrants in Aden city, and IOM will expand this initiative to support host community members.

MIGRATION CHALLENGES

A migrant takes part in a cleaning campaign in Aden city, which is part of an IOM cash for work project © IOM 2020

4

IOM YEMEN

1. COVID-19 should not be exploited to instrumentalize national security priorities like migrant encampment, detention, forced relocation or deportation

2. Migrants in detention should be released

3. Voluntary Humanitarian Return flights should be resumed as an immediate measure to address the life-threatening conditions migrants are facing and the dangers when attempting the journey back to the Horn of Africa facilitated by smugglers

4. Stranded migrants must be given safe passage and protection

5. Humanitarians must be granted unconditional access to all populations in need

6. Rhetoric blaming the COVID-19 outbreak on migrants must end

IOM YEMEN’S KEY ASKS

LAHJ

ADEN

AL HUDAYDAH

LEGEND

Stranded migrants

Incidents against migrants

Active migrant routes

Inactive migrant routes

MARIB

Al JAWF

Migrants forcibly moved from other governorates, stranded and seeking assistance

Migrants forcibly moved from other governorates, stranded and seeking assistance

Migrants forcibly moved from other governorates, stranded and seeking assistance

Deaths at sea

Arrests and forced movements to other governoratesIncidents of violence against migrants

YEMEN

SAUDI ARABIA

SOMALIAETHIOPIA

DJIBOUTI

SA'ADADetention of migrants

Arrest, detention and forced movement to southern governorates

AMANATAL ASIMAH

Violence against migrantsForced movement to other governorates

Detention of migrants

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON MIGRATION

MIGRANT ARRIVALS IN 2019 & 2020

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

NovOctSepAugJulJunMayAprMarFebJan

6,589ARRIVALS

1,340 ARRIVALS

2020

2019

5

IOM YEMEN

IOM’S RESPONSEBeginning in March, IOM scaled up COVID-19 preparedness and response activities to meet the needs of mobile populations – displaced persons and migrants – and the communities hosting them. IOM’s multi-sectoral humanitarian activities, including COVID-19 activities, are ongoing through eight mobile health and protection teams and 17 health facilities across the country and in 60 IDP hosting sites.

RESPONSE TARGETS

HADRAMAUT

AL MAHARAH

SHABWAH

AL JAWFSA'ADA

AMRAN

HAJJAH

DHAMAR

TAIZZ

IBB

AL BAYDALAHJADEN

ABYAN

AMANAT AL ASIMAH

AL HUDAYDAH

RAYMAH

AL MAHWIT

AL DHALE'E

MARIB

SOCOTRACOMMUNICABLE DISEASE VULNERABILITY SCORE PER DISTRICT*

Critical Vulnerability Severe Vulnerability Major Vulnerability

No IDP Hosting sites Minimal and Minor Vulnerability

Signi�cant VulnerabilityModerate Vulnerability

* Yemen CCCM Cluster

LEGEND

IOM Head O�ce IOM Sub-O�ce

IOM SUPPORTED HEALTH FACILITIES AND IDP HOSTING SITES BY GOVERNORATE

Primary Healthcare Centres District Hospital Mobile Medical/Outreach Teams IDP Hosting Sites Migrants Sites

AL BAYDA

AMANAT AL ASIMAH

1

1

SA'ADA 1

2

1

2 2

1

MARIB

ADEN

1AL JAWF 1

3 6

1 1

28

1TAIZZ

SHABWAH 3 3

LAHJ 1 1

3

1

5 2 7

33

12

6

IOM YEMEN

IOM hosts a CCCM training for camp management in Marib, which included sessions related to COVID-19 © IOM 2020

IOM is providing water, either through water trucking, vouchers, supplying family tanks and water points in more than 55 sites in Ibb, Marib and Taizz, reaching 86,619 people. During the reporting period, IOM distributed 1,872 pieces of soap and 9,972 long lasting insecticide nets in Aden and Taizz, and 3,600 hygiene kits in Aden, Abyan and Taizz.

INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL (IPC)

IOM is providing medical supplies and human resource support in 17 health facilities across Al Jawf, Aden, Sada’a, Al Baydah, Amanat Al Asimah, Lahj, Marib, and Shabwah governorates. Through eight mobile health teams, IOM is also providing access to emergency health assistance in displacement sites and along migratory routes in Aden, Lahj and Marib. During the reporting period, 7,566 people received access to health services.

Moreover, IOM trained 151 health workers and laboratory technicians on the use of National Anti-Malarial Drug (AMDs) Policy and Treatment Guidelines for severe malaria cases at targeted health facilities (HFs). Additionally, the delivery of furniture and equipment for the newly completed Al Marda’a quarantine centre in Marib is ongoing. The centre will be handed over to the Governorate Health Office in the coming weeks.

CASE MANAGEMENT AND CONTINUITY OF SERVICES

Through IOM Migrant and Community Response Points and mobile teams, 3,654 migrants in Aden and Sana’a received aid and hygiene Items as well as emergency food assistance. In Aden, 3,800 migrants have been registered for VHR, and 1,200 of them are participating in cash for work activities.

PROTECTION

IOM held a training on COVID-19 prevention measures for 27 care givers, who support IDPs with vulnerabilities in IOM supported sites in Marib City.

CAMP COORDINATION & CAMP MANAGEMENT (CCCM

IOM continues to roll out various income generation and livelihood provision initiatives through cash for work, vocational training and small grants assistance projects. During the reporting period, 351 beneficiaries benefited from a cash for work cleaning campaign, and cleaning equipment was donated to the Hadramaut Cleaning Fund. Also, in Hadramout, 20 displaced women received sewing machines following vocational trainings on sewing. Stakeholder consultations in Marib city, Marib Alwadi, Sirwah, Al Juba and Harib districts to identify priority service improvement projects like health facilities and WASH infrastructure were also completed.

ADDRESSING SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT

IOM YEMEN

IOM YEMEN’S RESPONSE IS SUPPORTED BY

RISK COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (RCCE)

85,894 PEOPLE REACHED

ADEN

AMANATAL ASIMAH

SANA’A

LEGEND

LAHJ

AL BAYDA

SHABWAH

MARIB

TAIZZ

IBB

AL JAWF

HADRAMOUT

SADA’A

RCCE Target Governorates

Soap distributions

Hygiene kit distributions

A child carries water from an IOM tank to his shelter in a displacement site, established this year as a result of mass displacement© IOM 2020