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According to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, “Yemen is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. As the conflict enters its fourth year, more than 22 million people — three-quarters of the population — need humanitarian aid and protection.”

Yemen is already one of the poorest countries in the Near East. Today, Yemen’s population is being devastated by the war being waged there between the Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Infectious diseases such as cholera, malaria and dengue fever are spreading rapidly, posing a direct threat to families, especially children, in every home in Yemen. The nation is experiencing the world’s largest cholera outbreak. The World Health Organization reports that war, a deteriorating economy, little or no access to water and poor sanitation have resulted in more than one million suspected cholera cases since the April 2017 outbreak.

The United Nations Children’s Fund states that nearly 2 million children have dropped out of school since 2015, and three-quarters of public school teachers have not been paid their salaries in over a year, putting the education of an additional 4.5 million children at grave risk. Since children are also in danger of being killed en route to school, many parents keep them at home. The lack of access to education has pushed children and families to opt for dangerous alternatives, including early marriage, child labor and recruitment into the fighting.

WiRED’s board and staff are heartbroken by the tragic conditions in Yemen. With the flood of news from so many quarters, it’s easy to lose sight of these tragic events more than 7,000 miles away. We urge people not to skip over the news from Yemen, and we can only hope that the United States and other governments do whatever they can to put a stop to the senseless violence and human suffering in Yemen.

Yemen by the Numbers
Source: United Nations

Poverty

79% of the population is poor compared to 49% in 2017
GDP per capita has declined 61% in the last three years

People in Need

75% of the population, 22 million people, need some form of humanitarian assistance and protection

Food Security

60% of the population, 18 million people, are food insecure
8.4 million people do not know how they will obtain their next meal

Health

Less than 50% of health facilities are functioning
18% of districts have no doctors
56% of the population, 16 million people, do not have regular access to basic health care

Water and Sanitation

55% of the population, 16 million people, do not have regular access to safe water and basic hygiene
73% of the population does not have access to piped drinking water

Nutrition

25% of population, 7.5 million people, need nutrition support and 50% of all children are stunted
2.9 million children and women are acutely malnourished; the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition has increased 90% in the last three years

Education

48% of women are illiterate
25% of children are out of school
11% of schools are destroyed or used for other purposes

Gender

72% of girls are married before the age of 18
44% of marriages in hard-hit districts involve girls under the age of 15
Less than 50% of births are attended by skilled health personnel

Displacement

Two million people are displaced, 76% are women and children
One million people have returned to their home areas

Economy

1.25 million civil servants are not receiving salaries
Basic food prices have increased 98% and fuel 110% in the last three years
In hard-hit areas unemployment rates are as high as 50%

WiRED Notes Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen Is Global Calamity