Thousands of IDPs face difficult conditions - ICRC

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Saada Governorate, northern Yemen, are living in critical conditions and in urgent need of clean water and medical care.

[Read this report in Arabic]

The ICRC said on 8 August that over 15,500 out of a total of 60,000 IDPs in the six IDP camps in and around Saada city, were living in difficult conditions after having been displaced during fighting that started in May 2008.

The figures were based on a field assessment by ICRC teams in Saada Governorate.

"The lack of clean water and medical care are particularly serious for the displaced, the sick, the wounded and for isolated communities. Spiralling food prices have placed an additional burden on the population," the ICRC said in a statement.

The ICRC said it had so far provided basic emergency assistance - including tents, jerry cans, kitchen sets and hygiene kits - to residents of the six IDP camps.

Between May and June 2008, it said it had distributed flour, rice, vegetable oil, beans, sugar and salt to IDPs in Haydan, Razeh, Assaher, and al-Talh districts as well as to the IDP camps.

The state-run media said the local authorities in Saada Governorate disputed the ICRC figure of 15,500 IDPs facing difficulty. They quoted an unnamed official at Saada local council as saying most of the displaced families had returned home. IRIN was not able to contact Saada local council officials to get confirmation of this.

Need for assessment

The ICRC said it was continuing to press the authorities for improved access to enable it to assess the needs of civilians in areas which had seen fierce fighting recently, but no aid organisations had been given access to these areas.

Any assessments would include returning families as well as those who had stayed put, it said.

In mid May, the ICRC appealed for US$8 million to help it respond to the needs of over 100,000 people directly affected by the conflict in Saada.

Hundreds have been killed and thousands displaced since the conflict began in 2004.

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