Ma’rib… An Escalating Humanitarian Crisis with Increasing Numbers of Displaced People and Declining International Support

Yemen Monitor/Ma’rib :

The Yemeni province of Ma’rib is witnessing a serious deterioration in humanitarian conditions, as it alone hosts 62% of the total displaced people in the country, a fact confirmed by Dr. Abdrabbu Muftah, the Deputy Governor, in special statements to “Yemen Monitor.”

Muftah explained that the province has become a safe haven for about three million displaced people who fled the war waged by the terrorist Houthi group, with thousands of families living in camps that lack the most basic necessities of life, including shelter, food, and health and educational services.

The local official pointed to the accumulated suffering experienced by the displaced people as a result of losing their sources of livelihood and stability, amid limited available resources and increasing pressure on local authorities to provide basic needs.

Regarding international support, Muftah revealed that Ma’rib was excluded for the third time from the United Nations Humanitarian Financing Fund (YHF), despite the presence of offices of international organizations in the province, considering that the current aid only covers a small portion of the increasing needs.

He pointed out a clear deficiency in the interventions of some organizations and donors in vital sectors such as food, water, sanitation, and education, which has exacerbated the severity of the humanitarian crisis in the province.

Regarding the education and health sectors, the Deputy Governor described the situation as alarming due to the severe shortage of medical and specialized staff, the scarcity of medical supplies, in addition to overcrowding in schools and the lack of teachers and desks.

Muftah affirmed that local authorities are working diligently in cooperation with humanitarian partners to improve basic services and implement sustainable development projects in the fields of water, education, and health, in addition to economic empowerment programs targeting the displaced and the host community.

Concluding his remarks, the Deputy Governor of Ma’rib called on the international community to redouble its humanitarian efforts and expand the scope of support provided to the province, which continues to receive hundreds of displaced families daily despite limited capabilities and difficult conditions.