Climate Change Exacerbates Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen

Yemen floods sweep away homes and displaced camps (Reuters)
Yemen floods sweep away homes and displaced camps (Reuters)
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Climate Change Exacerbates Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen

Yemen floods sweep away homes and displaced camps (Reuters)
Yemen floods sweep away homes and displaced camps (Reuters)

International warnings about the detrimental impact of extreme climate events on humanitarian conditions in Yemen persist as the population copes with extensive flood damages and the spread of diseases.

Recently, the UN issued a renewed warning about the imminent return of floods, which are expected to hit several Yemeni provinces this month. These floods are anticipated due to the onset of the rainy season, which typically lasts until late August.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has identified the provinces of Dhamar, Ibb, Aden, Lahj, and Taiz as areas likely to experience floods due to the possibility of heavy rainfall.

Approximately 1,500 individuals are expected to be affected by these floods, prompting a call for vigilance and caution.

According to the shelter cluster, which comprises various UN organizations involved in humanitarian relief efforts in Yemen, the number of individuals affected by heavy rains and floods that occurred in Yemen from March to June 24 has risen to over 300,000 people, according to the latest data.

Moreover, more than 44,000 households, totaling 308,000 individuals, in over 100 directorates across 19 Yemeni provinces, have suffered damages.

Hodeidah, located in the western part of Yemen, ranked highest among the most affected provinces by floods, with 27,700 households impacted.

Aden province followed closely in second place, with 12,300 affected households.

In third place was Ibb province, with 1,600 households affected.

Sanaa witnessed damage to 1,500 households, while Saada province suffered damage to 1,200 households.

According to the shelter cluster, the humanitarian response to flood-affected Yemenis reveals significant gaps, ranging from 60% to 96%, with an average of 72%, in meeting the overall needs for non-food items, shelter, and emergency assistance.

These needs are at the forefront of the humanitarian requirements for those affected by the floods.



Israeli Rights Group Accuses Prison Authority of Failing Palestinian Prisoners after Scabies Outbreak

Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir attends a discussion called on by the opposition on the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, at the Knesset in Jerusalem, Israel, 18 November 2024. (EPA)
Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir attends a discussion called on by the opposition on the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, at the Knesset in Jerusalem, Israel, 18 November 2024. (EPA)
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Israeli Rights Group Accuses Prison Authority of Failing Palestinian Prisoners after Scabies Outbreak

Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir attends a discussion called on by the opposition on the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, at the Knesset in Jerusalem, Israel, 18 November 2024. (EPA)
Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir attends a discussion called on by the opposition on the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, at the Knesset in Jerusalem, Israel, 18 November 2024. (EPA)

An Israeli rights group said Monday that more than a quarter of all Palestinian prisoners currently held by Israel had contracted scabies since an outbreak was identified in May, and accused the prison authority of improper care and prevention.

Physicians for Human Rights-Israel said that more than 2,800 prisoners had caught the rash-like infection, with more than 1,700 still actively infected. The outbreak was seen in five different detention facilities, the group said. It was citing figures it said came from the Israel Prison Service.

The group said it filed a legal petition calling on the prison service “to eradicate the scabies epidemic,” accusing the authorities of failing “to implement widely recognized medical interventions necessary to contain the outbreak.”

It said that it halted the legal proceedings after it received a commitment from the prison service to address the outbreak. The prison service said the court had cancelled the petition because the prisons had shown they were dealing with the outbreak in a “systematic and thorough” way.

Nadav Davidovich, an Israeli public health expert who wrote a medical analysis for the group’s court proceedings, said the outbreak was a result of overcrowding in prisons and apparent neglect from prison authorities. He said such outbreaks could be prevented if prisoners were held “in more reasonable conditions.” If the first infections were treated as needed, such an outbreak could have been avoided, he said.

Physicians for Human Rights-Israel also said that the Israel Prison Service had cited scabies as a reason for postponing lawyers' visits and court appearances for prisoners. It said those steps “violate prisoners’ rights and serve as punitive measures rather than public health responses.”

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the prisons, has boasted about hardening conditions to the bare minimum required by law.