Today's Edition
AHMED SHAABAN (CAIRO)
Analysts and human rights experts in Yemen have critised the deteriorating health, living, and educational conditions of the displaced in Marib camps due to the war and violations in areas controlled by the Houthi group.
The Marib camp’s administration recently reported a fire in a square belonging to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which was not an isolated incident. This year, the camps have witnessed 160 fires, resulting in the death and injury of 25 people.
Fahmi Al-Zubeiri, the Director of the Human Rights Office in Sanaa, stated that these fires are a product of improper electrical wiring, increased loads, lack of awareness and protective tools, and the presence of cooking appliances inside tents and huts, making them prone to ignition and resulting in fires spreading to nearby tents.
Al-Zubeiri told Aletihad that the suffering of the displaced is on a continuous rise. The camps in Marib province host nearly three million individuals, representing about three-quarters of the total number of displaced people in Yemen. Most of them lost their homes and jobs, and are now homeless, living in deserts and valleys with their children, suffering harsh conditions.
He emphasised that the displaced from Houthi-controlled areas need urgent care, protection, as well as humanitarian, educational, and health assistance and relief. He also mentioned a significant deficiency in services and essential needs, especially for children and women.
Al-Zubeiri pointed out that one of the main reasons for displacement is the severe violations committed by the Houthi group, resulting in repression against Yemenis, suppression of freedom of opinion and expression, private property plundering, religious and national identity erasure, and racial discrimination. He further warned of increased suffering with the onset of winter, noting a growing need for shelter, food, and treatment. Last year, three camp children died due to severe colds and the lack of quick interventions from UN organisations operating from Houthi-controlled areas.
The official annual report of the Executive Unit for the Management of Displacement Camps in Marib for 2022 stated that 89 per cent of the displaced live in huts and dilapidated tents and need urgent assistance to protect them from floods and rains.
Mahmoud Al-Tahir, a Yemeni journalist and political analyst, revealed that the suffering faced by the displaced in Marib camps is also a consequence of missile and firearm attacks, as well as military operations against the camps.
Al-Tahir stressed the need for coordination between the UN and the Yemeni government to aid the displaced, as the humanitarian and food aid provided by the UN is currently “non-existent”. He emphasised that health, education, food, and humanitarian services must be provided to the millions of displaced, enabling them to live dignified lives.
