Fuel shortages and decreased water supply threatening the basic demands of Yemenis life

Fuel shortages continue to be reported in the capital city of Sana’a and other governorates, making it difficult to transport medicines and health supplies. Fuel prices have increased up to ten fold in some governorates. Food and water pumping prices have also increased sharply. WHO and the Ministry of Population and Health estimate that approximately US$750,000 is needed per month to provide sufficient fuel to cover 100 ambulances, major hospitals in affected governorates and mobile health teams. In Marib, the central electricity network has been damaged, causing total disruption of the electricity supply to the city of Sana’a and most of the neighboring governorates. Power cuts and fuel shortages threaten to disrupt the vaccine cold chain, leaving millions of children below the age of five unvaccinated. This increases the risk of communicable diseases such as measles, which is prevalent in Yemen, as well as polio, which has been eliminated but is now at risk of reappearing. Shortages of safe water have resulted in increased risk of diarrhoea, and other diseases. Over the past four weeks, national disease surveillance reports show a doubling in the number of cases of bloody diarrhoea in children below the age of 5, as well as an increase in the number of cases of measles and suspected malaria. High rates of malnutrition among women and children below the age of 5 have also been reported. Since the conflict escalated, there has been a 40% reduction in overall daily consultations in health facilities, indicating that many men, women and children are unable to reach health facilities due to blocked roads and fighting in the streets.