SANAA (August 3, 2018) – Almost two months after an offensive on the Yemen port city of Hodeidah began, last night airstrikes hit a fish market and the entrance to a hospital, injuring up to 70 people and killing at least 20, including medical staff. “We are very concerned about any further escalations. These attacks literally came out of the blue, and have hit people in an already dire humanitarian situation hard,” Jolien Veldwijk, CARE’s assistant country director in Yemen warns. “The ceasefire gave people time to breathe again, and we were hoping it would give peace talks a real chance.”
According to UN estimates, Hodeidah has already seen over 450,000 people displaced in recent weeks and CARE is deeply concerned that these latest attacks risk even more being forced to leave their homes, facing dangerous journeys across the country to try to reach safety.
Furthermore, Hodeidah port is a vital lifeline for desperately-needed food supplies coming into the country. “Airstrikes have already destroyed much of the water and sanitation facilities and any new damage risks the outbreak of diseases like cholera,” adds Veldwijk. “We are also very worried that more and more people will face starvation. We keep thinking it cannot get any worse. But unfortunately we are wrong.”
More than 10,000 people have already lost their lives in a civil war in Yemen that has lasted over three years, with the UN calling it the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Over 22 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, with more than 8 million people already facing the risk of starvation.
“The people of Yemen have experienced unimaginable suffering during this war,” says Veldwijk. “Disease, starvation and displacement have ravaged the country, and CARE calls strongly upon all parties to desist from further violence.”
CARE works in Hodeidah governorate to support people with access to safe water and increased food security by providing cash to the most vulnerable households. CARE has worked in Yemen since 1992 and is one of few international aid agencies continuing to deliver humanitarian services under extremely challenging circumstances. CARE is focusing on making sure that people in the hardest-hit and most hard-to-reach areas have access to emergency supplies and assistance with meeting their basic needs.
About CARE
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. That’s why women and girls are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve education and health, create economic opportunity, respond to emergencies and confront hunger. Last year CARE worked in 93 countries and reached 63 million people around the world. Learn more at care.org.
Media Contacts
Mahmoud Shabeeb, mshabeeb@care.org, +962-79-146-39-03, Skype: mahmoud.shabeeb_1 (based in Amman, Jordan)