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| Yemen's humanitarian crisis masked by faltering steps towards democracy | Yemen's humanitarian crisis masked by faltering steps towards democracy |
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| To talk of Yemen's humanitarian crisis is to talk of politics. If any reminder were needed of that, it was delivered with sobering clarity at a gathering of Yemeni civil society representatives, NGOs and government ministers at London's Chatham House on Wednesday. | To talk of Yemen's humanitarian crisis is to talk of politics. If any reminder were needed of that, it was delivered with sobering clarity at a gathering of Yemeni civil society representatives, NGOs and government ministers at London's Chatham House on Wednesday. |
| Billed as a curtain-raiser for the Friends of Yemen meeting in London on Thursday, where ministers will debate the Arab state's faltering progress towards democracy and the need to make good on unfulfilled aid pledges, the meeting was meant to address aid and accountability. | Billed as a curtain-raiser for the Friends of Yemen meeting in London on Thursday, where ministers will debate the Arab state's faltering progress towards democracy and the need to make good on unfulfilled aid pledges, the meeting was meant to address aid and accountability. |
| But instead, the focus turned inexorably towards national politics, with the accent firmly on the national dialogue conference, starting on 18 March, that will reshape Yemen's constitution before elections scheduled for February 2014. | But instead, the focus turned inexorably towards national politics, with the accent firmly on the national dialogue conference, starting on 18 March, that will reshape Yemen's constitution before elections scheduled for February 2014. |
| The difficulty is that Yemen faces a humanitarian crisis of a magnitude that could render political progress redundant. Figures compiled by the World Food Programme suggest almost half of Yemen's population of 25 million has fallen into debt as a result of buying food on credit (pdf). More than 10 million people do not have enough to eat, and chronic malnutrition is widespread among children. A million children are acutely malnourished, with 250,000 at risk of death without immediate assistance. | The difficulty is that Yemen faces a humanitarian crisis of a magnitude that could render political progress redundant. Figures compiled by the World Food Programme suggest almost half of Yemen's population of 25 million has fallen into debt as a result of buying food on credit (pdf). More than 10 million people do not have enough to eat, and chronic malnutrition is widespread among children. A million children are acutely malnourished, with 250,000 at risk of death without immediate assistance. |
| "Colleagues who work on food and hunger issues globally always come up short when they see the figures on Yemen," James Whitehead, Oxfam's regional programme manager for the Middle East, says. "They are shocking, and my worry is that that becomes normalised, that we say 'That's just Yemen.' | "Colleagues who work on food and hunger issues globally always come up short when they see the figures on Yemen," James Whitehead, Oxfam's regional programme manager for the Middle East, says. "They are shocking, and my worry is that that becomes normalised, that we say 'That's just Yemen.' |
| "We're really concerned about ordinary families just getting enough food on the table. In the areas where we're working, we've seen that families are getting further and further into debt. The amount of debt related to just buying enough to get by has doubled since last year." | "We're really concerned about ordinary families just getting enough food on the table. In the areas where we're working, we've seen that families are getting further and further into debt. The amount of debt related to just buying enough to get by has doubled since last year." |
| There is a real danger of these realities becoming submerged beneath the tide of political debate. As security concerns continue to grab headlines, an alarming funding shortfall continues. The UN has received just 2% of the $716m it needs for 2013, and 78% of the $8bn pledged at previous conferences has yet to materialise. | There is a real danger of these realities becoming submerged beneath the tide of political debate. As security concerns continue to grab headlines, an alarming funding shortfall continues. The UN has received just 2% of the $716m it needs for 2013, and 78% of the $8bn pledged at previous conferences has yet to materialise. |
| The Chatham House meeting ended with a video in which ordinary Yemeni people reflected on the issues facing their country. After two hours of politically charged discussion, their comments felt almost incongruous. They wanted peace and public services. They wanted aid that benefited the public rather than the military. Some were optimistic about the national dialogue, others not. Several hadn't even heard of it. | The Chatham House meeting ended with a video in which ordinary Yemeni people reflected on the issues facing their country. After two hours of politically charged discussion, their comments felt almost incongruous. They wanted peace and public services. They wanted aid that benefited the public rather than the military. Some were optimistic about the national dialogue, others not. Several hadn't even heard of it. |
| What united them all, however, was a fear that their needs would be ignored by the fledgling political establishment - and the muted but incessant chatter of the Yemeni government ministers in attendance, who spoke among themselves rather than listen to the civil society speakers, did nothing to dispel those concerns. Apparently, though, their mere presence represented progress. | |
| "They attended and that shows their seriousness, which is positive," Jamila Ali Raja, a Yemeni poltical and women's rights activist, said. "They were interested when they wanted to be interested." | "They attended and that shows their seriousness, which is positive," Jamila Ali Raja, a Yemeni poltical and women's rights activist, said. "They were interested when they wanted to be interested." |
| Whether that will be good enough for the Arab world's poorest country is doubtful. The conclusion of Ali Abdullah Saleh's 33-year presidency in November 2011 was meant to herald a fresh start for Yemen. Instead, continued political and economic turmoil has been exacerbated by wide-ranging problems. | |
| Even without the food crisis, the humanitarian picture is complicated, with a lack of basic services a major issue. Adding weight to suggestions that Yemen may be the first country in the world to run out of water, 13 million Yemenis, out of an estimated population of nearly 25 million, lack access to clean water and proper sanitation. Basic healthcare is unavailable to 6 million people, with the absence of reproductive health services contributing significantly to a high maternal mortality rate. | Even without the food crisis, the humanitarian picture is complicated, with a lack of basic services a major issue. Adding weight to suggestions that Yemen may be the first country in the world to run out of water, 13 million Yemenis, out of an estimated population of nearly 25 million, lack access to clean water and proper sanitation. Basic healthcare is unavailable to 6 million people, with the absence of reproductive health services contributing significantly to a high maternal mortality rate. |
| "We came here to remind the Friends of Yemen that the humanitarian situation will be one of the biggest risks for Yemen's transition if it's not dealt with properly," Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, UN resident and humanitarian co-ordinator for Yemen, said. "What we are seeing is a lot of attention on the political agenda, and we acknowledge this is moving ahead. | "We came here to remind the Friends of Yemen that the humanitarian situation will be one of the biggest risks for Yemen's transition if it's not dealt with properly," Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, UN resident and humanitarian co-ordinator for Yemen, said. "What we are seeing is a lot of attention on the political agenda, and we acknowledge this is moving ahead. |
| "But, unfortunately, people seem to forget that there are 10 million people in need of food assistance – five million in need of extreme food assistance – and one million children suffering acute malnutrition. We need to remind the world that, while the national dialogue and preparations for the election are important, it's vital that we deal with the current humanitarian situation." | "But, unfortunately, people seem to forget that there are 10 million people in need of food assistance – five million in need of extreme food assistance – and one million children suffering acute malnutrition. We need to remind the world that, while the national dialogue and preparations for the election are important, it's vital that we deal with the current humanitarian situation." |
| One official argued that addressing humanitarian issues can help to foster political stability, but political stability will not solve the humanitarian crisis. | One official argued that addressing humanitarian issues can help to foster political stability, but political stability will not solve the humanitarian crisis. |
| "If we don't receive support, there will be destabilisation in Yemen, and this is the main message we'll be emphasising at the Friends of London meeting," Ahmed said. "It's important for the world to realise that there will be no stability in Yemen if we don't deal with the humanitarian situation. There is more awareness of the magnitude of the problem, but it's not enough. If we don't intervene now, we may see some of the same images that have emerged from the Horn of Africa; the situation is comparable." | "If we don't receive support, there will be destabilisation in Yemen, and this is the main message we'll be emphasising at the Friends of London meeting," Ahmed said. "It's important for the world to realise that there will be no stability in Yemen if we don't deal with the humanitarian situation. There is more awareness of the magnitude of the problem, but it's not enough. If we don't intervene now, we may see some of the same images that have emerged from the Horn of Africa; the situation is comparable." |