75% of Yemen's Population Live Without Water, Sanitation Services

A displaced Yemeni woman in Sanaa carries cans to fill water tanks (EPA)
A displaced Yemeni woman in Sanaa carries cans to fill water tanks (EPA)
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75% of Yemen's Population Live Without Water, Sanitation Services

A displaced Yemeni woman in Sanaa carries cans to fill water tanks (EPA)
A displaced Yemeni woman in Sanaa carries cans to fill water tanks (EPA)

Houthi group continues to obstruct peace efforts and push towards an unprecedented exacerbation of the humanitarian situation, despite warnings of the international relief organizations, which confirmed that three-quarters of the population would have no access to water and sanitation services over the next year.

A joint methodological note on the conditions of water and sanitation services explained how the number of People in Need (PIN) of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) assistance and the WASH Severity Scores for each district in Yemen would be calculated for the 2023 Yemen Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO).

The organizations pointed out that Yemen has been the world's worst humanitarian crisis during the past five years, and the humanitarian situation remains critical as the country enters its eighth year of the war.

The humanitarian situation in Yemen remains critical, with economic decline and protracted armed conflict causing many Yemenis to need assistance.

The conflict has further aggravated the country's underlying food insecurity while compromising essential services and infrastructure, including health and education, and significantly damaging the economy and the social fabric.

The joint note stated that Yemen remained the sixth largest internal displacement crisis globally, with an IDP population of over 4.3 million.

In the 2022 HNO, the Yemen WASH Cluster (YWC) reported an increase from 2021 in the number of people in need of support to meet their WASH needs by 16 percent (17.8 million people in need), while the number of people in acute needs increased by 28.7 percent (11.2 million people in acute need).

According to these numbers, less than a quarter of the population has access to safe WASH services.

The note warned that despite these pressing needs, global funding has fallen short of meeting all required budget for WASH by $2.7 billion, stressing the need to identify and prioritize the communities most in need and determining their vulnerabilities and risks.

To understand the WASH needs, risks, and vulnerabilities of the population in Yemen, the 2023 HNO assesses WASH-related indicators across all districts in Yemen.

The YWC has partnered with REACH to produce an analysis of these indicators to determine the number of populations in need, and the severity of needs, by demographic group and geographic location.

The document outlines using indicators and resources for informing the HNO, building these indicators, scaling the severity of needs, and calculating the number of populations in need.



Iran, Syria Agree to Strengthen Anti-Terrorism Cooperation

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Syrian counterpart Bassam Sabbagh in Tehran on Tuesday. (AFP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Syrian counterpart Bassam Sabbagh in Tehran on Tuesday. (AFP)
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Iran, Syria Agree to Strengthen Anti-Terrorism Cooperation

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Syrian counterpart Bassam Sabbagh in Tehran on Tuesday. (AFP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Syrian counterpart Bassam Sabbagh in Tehran on Tuesday. (AFP)

Iran and Syria have pledged to strengthen joint efforts to “combat terrorism,” without directly addressing the role of Iranian advisors in Syria.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Syria’s new Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Tehran on Tuesday. This marked Sabbagh’s first visit to Tehran since taking office in September.

In a joint press conference, Araghchi reaffirmed Iran’s support for Syria and its regional allies. “Iran will always stand by Syria and the Axis of Resistance,” he said, promising continued assistance.

Sabbagh called the talks “positive and constructive,” emphasizing closer cooperation between the two countries. He condemned “Israeli aggression” and stressed the need for an immediate halt to such actions and the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need.

Sabbagh also reiterated Syria’s call to end Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights and highlighted the importance of working with Iran to combat terrorism and its sources, according to Iranian media.

Sabbagh’s visit to Tehran comes days after Ali Larijani, a senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.

Iran’s Javan newspaper reported that Larijani delivered a message to the Axis of Resistance, stressing continued operations and addressing a proposed ceasefire in Lebanon.

The talks also included support for Syria and Hezbollah’s rejection of US changes to UN Resolution 1701, known as the “Litani Plus” plan.

The visit followed remarks by Ali Asghar Khaji, an advisor to Iran’s foreign minister, who told Russia’s RIA Novosti that Iran has no plans to adjust its advisory presence in Syria despite rising regional tensions.