SITUATION OVERVIEW

The year 2021 marked the seventh year of an ongoing conflict in Yemen that pushed the country to the edge of famine, displaced thousands of people from their homes and rendered half of the country’s public health system dysfunctional.

In 2021, IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) recorded the displacement of over 157,500 people in the 13 governorates where the Organization has access. While conflict remained the main driver of displacement, the situation was aggravated by a weakened economy, the COVID-19 pandemic, rains and flooding, and fuel shortages.

RESPONSE TO INCREASED DISPLACEMENT

Ma’rib governorate witnessed the highest rates of displacement due to escalating hostilities and shifting frontlines, worsening the vulnerability and precarious living conditions faced by thousands of displaced persons, migrants and the communities that host them. IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix estimates that over 13,075 households (HHs) or 78,450 individuals in this governorate were displaced in 2021, many for the fourth or fifth time. IOM continued to scale up multisectoral humanitarian assistance to meet urgent needs in Ma’rib, supporting over 200,000 individuals with essential relief services.

Towards the end of the year, people living along Yemen’s west coast were also impacted by escalating conflict. IOM expanded its operations to this region earlier in the year and has since been well placed to respond to the growing needs of more than 18,000 households living in displacement hosting sites. Over the course of the year, IOM has provided multisectoral assistance to nearly 8,500 households, covering 20 underserved displacement sites and supporting five static and mobile health facilities.