Yemen Joint Response 3

More than 19 months of conflict have devastated Yemen and an estimated 18.8 million people are in need of some kind of humanitarian assistance, including 10.3 million who are in acute need. About 14.4 million people need support to ensure access to safe drinking water and sanitation, including 8.2 million people who are in acute need (HNO – 2017). Access to safe drinking water is a major priority for IDPs and the host communities and largescale and prolonged displacements put an additional burden on already scarce water sources. High prices, distance to water sources, and quality of water are mentioned by IDPs and host communities as the major constraints to access water. Critical WASH infrastructure has been damaged in the conflict and reliable access to water and sanitation has dropped precipitously. Across the country water networks have reduced services or stopped functioning and local authorities are no longer able to maintain or rehabilitate the WASH infrastructure. Failing urban water and sanitation systems are contributing to a public health crisis, not only posing an immediate threat to lives but also significantly increasing the risk of WASH-related diseases like diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections, and malnutrition. The escalating conflict and displacement is also associated with greater risks and incidence of gender-based violence. As of October 2016 nearly 2.2 million people remained displaced within Yemen and more than 50% of IDPs are sheltering in Hajjah, Taizz, and Sana’a. With 1.6 million people (46% of the population) in acute need, Hajjah is among the districts with the highest severity of needs score and is one of the top WASH Cluster priorities (HNO-2017). In view of the huge WASH needs in Yemen and especially in Hajjah and considering Save the Children’s (SC) WASH expertise and presence in Hajjah, the proposed intervention will contribute to a reduction of water related morbidity and mortality of the affected children and their families.