TEHRAN- Yemen is facing the largest humanitarian crisis in the world – 80 per cent of the population are in need of protection or assistance and 3.6 million people are internally displaced, according to the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM).

With the conflict in its fifth year, widespread instability, severe economic decline, food insecurity and the collapse of essential public services are taking an enormous toll. The people of Yemen were already living in the most impoverished country in the Persian Gulf region prior to the outbreak of fighting and now face not just insecurity and violence but also outbreaks of diseases like cholera. Despite the current crisis, irregular migrants continue to arrive in Yemen in increasing numbers, most hoping to find work in Saudi Arabia.

With offices in Sana’a, Aden, Al Hudaydah and now Marib and satellite presences in all 22 governorates, IOM supports the most vulnerable groups throughout Yemen, including displaced people, conflict-affected communities and migrants. The Organization directly implements a multisector humanitarian response, namely health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), shelter, nonfood item (NFI) and cash-based assistance, camp coordination and camp management (CCCM), protection and displacement tracking (DTM). Growing to be one of its largest missions worldwide, IOM is currently scaling up its response in Yemen by increasing the capacity of its team and expanding its operations to reach more people in underserved and remote areas. Through IOM establishing additional operational hubs throughout the country, the Organization and partners will be better able to effectively assist displaced people, migrants and the communities hosting both groups.

Saudi Arabia invaded Yemen in 2015 with the aim of reinstating former president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi who resigned amid a political deadlock in January 2015 and then fled to Riyadh. 

According to new figures from the United Nations, the Saudi war in Yemen will have claimed about 102,000 lives by the end of 2019, indicating that the invasion has killed far more people than previously reported.

A number of Western countries, the U.S. and Britain in particular, are accused of being complicit in the ongoing aggression as they supply the Riyadh regime with advanced weapons and military equipment as well as logistical and intelligence assistance.