Source: Xinhua
Thousands of forcibly displaced Yemenis started preparing themselves for winter in huts and tents amid difficult living conditions as well as lack of humanitarian assistance in the war-torn Arab country.
On the outskirts of the southern port city of Aden, a large number of displaced people who fled war-torn areas in the Red Sea coastal city of Hodeidah are struggling to stay alive in a desert area without basic services such as water and electricity.
Dozens of displaced people living in huts outside Aden sent urgent appeals for support from the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and other humanitarian organizations to confront the upcoming cold months.
Adeeb Omar, a displaced civilian from Hodeidah, told Xinhua that new difficulties will emerge for thousands of displaced people during winter, as storms and cold have just started to hit their huts.
“Winter will be an unwelcome visitor because we are unable to confront cold nights in a desert area free from basic living means,” Omar said.
“The already hungry children and the elderly people who barely survived during the past period” will be the most vulnerable, he added.
Um Khaled, mother of three children, made the same appeals.
“We hope the new prime minister and his government members will not leave us alone in this desert area,” Khaled said.
“Without assistance many destitute families won’t be able to stay alive during this winter season,” she added.
Bashir Alwai, a local humanitarian officer, said cooperation between local and international organizations are a necessary step to reduce the suffering of displaced people living near Aden.
“The international organizations have the adequate financial sources and can bring a real difference in the humanitarian field particularly during this difficult time,” Alwai said.
“Local charities can also help in distributing heating devices, warm clothes and sufficient meals for displaced people,” he added.
Meanwhile, a source from the internationally-backed government based in Aden told Xinhua that new campaigns will be launched in the next few days to distribute essential humanitarian aid for displacement camps.
“The plans were already discussed and all camps located in the government-controlled areas will receive sufficient support in the next days,” the source said on condition of anonymity.
The government source also urged the United Nations to coordinate with local authorities in Aden and other neighboring main cities.
Yemen has been locked into a civil war since Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014.
Saudi Arabia, along with several other Arab countries, intervened militarily and began pounding the Houthi-controlled Sanaa in March 2015 in response to an official request from Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to protect his country.
The internal military conflict between Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government recently entered its fourth year, aggravating the suffering of Yemenis and deepening the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Three quarters of the Yemeni population, or more than 22 million people, including 8.4 million who struggle to find their next meal, urgently need humanitarian assistance.
