ETC initiates response to escalating Yemen Conflict emergency

Towards the end of a long Tuesday, 12 members of the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) from around the world were sitting around a virtual meeting table to discuss the deteriorating situation in Yemen.

Located on the southern flank of the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen is mired in conflict as fighting between Houthi rebels and forces loyal to the government devastates the country. Airstrikes only exacerbated Yemen's dire humanitarian situation as one of the most food insecure countries in the Middle East. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost 650 people have been killed and more than 2,200 injured since 19 March.

Even before the conflict, Yemen was teetering on the brink of a full-blown humanitarian disaster – it is 90 per cent dependent on food imports, running out of water in some cities and malnutrition plagues the population, 60 per cent of which lives under the poverty line.

The situation, then, is dismal.

Anticipating further deterioration of the security situation, the ETC had already carried out an ICT assessment in Yemen in mid-March 2015 to identify what communications services were needed by the humanitarian community and where. Results reveal most aid organisations are relying on local service providers. Services needed most by the humanitarian community are: security telecommunications, data connectivity, radio training and radio programming.

Since last month though, much has changed. The skies over Yemen have darkened and the situation on the ground increasingly desperate with critical services, including mobile networks and internet services, being shut down or attacked. Urgent needs for services have been identified in key cities, including Sana'a, the capital.

As conflict and chaos unravel and the likelihood of a full-blown emergency escalates, the ETC, led by the World Food Programme (WFP), is preparing for activation and its network of members is readying to respond.

The Cluster being activated will bring challenges of its own – how to deploy equipment, how to secure equipment, operational sites and staff and how to physically deploy in a country as insecure as Yemen.

Tuesday's global teleconference ended with more questions than answers. The only things confirmed are that Yemen is in need and the ETC is ready to respond.

By Suzanne Fenton, IT Emergency Preparedness & Response branch, World Food Programme

Photo: Yemenis flee the capital Sana'a with their families and few possessions. IRIN/ Almigdad Mojalli