Yemen

Yemen Famine Threat

Press Release 5/20/22: Yemen Famine Threat

Millions in Yemen are at threat of deadly famine. The country is suffering from an extreme wheat shortage.

Yemen is facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises – the famine threat. It’s due to more than seven years of war, political unrest, and a stagnant economy. Of the 31.18 million people living there, approximately 17.4 million are hungry. This statistics doesn’t even include the ones suffering from disease, malnutrition, and injuries from violence. The situation is only getting worse.

When the war in Ukraine began in late February, Yemen lost over 30% of its wheat imports from Ukraine and Russia. In Yemen, more than 80% of the population already suffers from hunger. So, this was a devastating loss in a country. 

Earlier this week, things went from bad to worse when India banned wheat exports entirely. The UN expressed solid concerns for war-torn countries that are already experiencing widespread hunger. Yemen is under an imminent famine threat.

According to a report of the Business Standard, “The US envoy said that Ukraine used to be a breadbasket for the developing world, but ever since Russia started blocking crucial ports and destroying civilian infrastructure and grain silos, hunger situations in Africa and the Middle East are getting even more dire.”

“16 million people in Yemen were already marching towards starvation prior to wheat shortage”, reported by The Guardian. Now, even more will join them.

UMR’s Emergency Plan

 

UMR has a multi-step approach to bringing immediate relief. We plan to create long-term sustainable solutions to help the people in Yemen.

First, we plan to deliver emergency food aid to the most vulnerable communities. We will focus on the elderly, mothers, children, and persons with disabilities. Our primary consideration is to help Yemen overcome the famine threat.

On a longer-term scale, we plan to rehabilitate the local markets. We will also construct and maintain water points for people and livestock. support local farmers through home gardens, drip irrigation units, and other services. Our ultimate goal is to stimulate the economy and provide sustainable food sources that will help Yemen’s famine threat so that the country can withstand the turmoil it is under.

Pass the Plate

Pass The Plate

very year Muslims around the world observe the holy month of Ramadan by fasting from sunrise to sunset. Unfortunately for hundreds of thousands of families, they will not get the chance to spend this spiritual time in a warm home with nutritious food to break their fast. UMR has launched “Pass the Plate” campaign to support them.

“The number of people fleeing war, persecution and conflict exceeded 70 million globally last year – the highest number in the UN refugee agency’s almost 70 years of operations.”UN

Refugees and displaced people are the most vulnerable people on the planet, suffering daily without sufficient housing, access to medicine, doctors, food, or clean water. As the crisis worsens, more and more people are depending on humanitarian agencies like UMR to fill the gaps.

Each year during Ramadan, UMR delivers food packages filled with nutritious items such as beans, rice, flour, oil, canned goods, and more to reach people that have absolutely nothing. We have spoken with families begging for help, telling our field staff that without these resources, they will die.

“Me and my children are fasting. What will we eat to break our fast? My children are begging me for food and water!”

This Ramadan, these families desperately need your help. Please #PassThePlate to a child in need!

Where We Are Working

LebanonKenya
JordanSomalia
YemenSudan
PalestinePakistan
BangladeshUSA

What We Are Providing

We are providing many necessary items to the helpless families. Here are some of them-

Food Baskets

UMR delivers food packages containing items such as rice, flour, sugar, oil, beans, lentils, tomato paste, pasta, bread, and canned goods.

Water & Sanitation

In addition, we will be building water wells in Pakistan, Somalia and Kenya to ensure that some of the poorest communities are able to find clean drinking water, and prevent the spread of diseases.

Orphan Protection

Children are some of the most vulnerable among these already struggling communities. That is why UMR prioritizes the safety and well-being of children and orphans by providing them with healthcare, education, nutrition and a chance at a future.

Iftars

Each year UMR hosts iftar dinners throughout the month of Ramadan. Last year we were able to serve thousands of people in Yemen and Gaza with warm, nutritious meals.

Click Donate Now to See the different programs that you can donate to:

Medical Shipments

Medical Shipments

The supply chain for medical gifts-in-kind is powerful at UMR. We collaborate with private healthcare companies to get medical supplies. UMR provides disposables like gloves, bandages, and prescription drugs. We also provide tools essential like x-ray and ultrasound machines.

This is an essential instrument for growing the capacity of hospitals. Because it frees up financial resources to hire more doctors. It also lessens the financial burden on patients.

UMR has sent medical shipments to many countries. This includes Yemen, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Jordan, and Lebanon. We are still sending containers to underdeveloped nations.

Lebanon

In January 2021, UMR sent two major medical supplies to Lebanon. An international emergency health kit was the first. It was filled with necessary medical supplies. ICU beds were in the second shipment.

The pandemic hurt public hospitals the most. Because private institutions were cutting off so many people. But public hospitals already had very little money. We hoped these shipments would help the medical staff do their jobs better during this hard time.

Jordan

UMR is working with a field office in Jordan to send medical shipments to Syrian refugees. This is to help the number of refugees from Syria improve. We are delivering medicine to help both long-term and short-term health problems. We give basic medical tools. Syringes, aluminum canes, crutches, hip arthroscopy kits, oxygen masks, surgical packs, and more.

The governorates of Zarqa and Mafraq in Jordan have services to offer. In 2018, UMR and IMANA provided basic health care to 6,500 people. Most of them were Syrian and Palestinian refugees. We want to help at least 10,000 people this time in Jordan. 

Sudan

Many health facilities in Sudan can not provide patients with proper care. Because they have insufficient medical equipment and supplies.

UMR has been delivering essential medical shipments to Sudan for many years. Our goal is to enhance the overall healthcare system of this country.

Yemen

The United Nations estimates that Yemen needs about $3.9 billion. This amount will aid the millions of people who are affected by the seven-year conflict.

According to Aljazeera, more than 15,000 people had to leave their homes in December 2021. Because the military war in Yemen is growing. More than 350 people were killed or hurt. The poorest country in the Arab world is now facing more hunger and an economic collapse. 

UMR is still planning to help Yemen with emergency aid, like food and medical goods.

Palestine

According to Human Rights Watch, “Israeli officials destroyed 666 Palestinian homes and other buildings in the West Bank.” It happened for the first eight months of 2021. Bombs killed hundreds of people, hurt thousands and destroyed hospitals. Many of you stepped up to help Palestine get through this terrible time. 

Because of your kindness, UMR sent 5 Interagency Emergency Health Kits (IEHK). We delivered them to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. It happened on December 26, 2021. These kits were sent to hospitals and medical centers all over the country.

The 5 IEHKs were able to help 50,000 people. They were full of things like trauma supplies, surgery tools, medicine, and more.

Conclusion

UMR has been providing medical shipments in many other countries along with these countries. We want to create a world where nobody will lose their life due to medical supplies shortage. We need all of your help to establish this dream. Join UMR with our sacred journey of giving medical care to the underprivileged people.

Charity Bakeries

In Yemen, over 80% of the population — approximately 24.1 million people — is in need of humanitarian assistance, and the situation is worsening. The ongoing conflict has severely interrupted the availability of food, leaving millions of Yemenis displaced and in need of food assistance.

UMR’s Charity Bakeries provide bread to the most vulnerable families in Yemen. UMR, working with local partners on the ground, has completed the construction of one Charity Bakery in Aden and works in partnership with Mercy Bakery to ensure warm bread and food staples are delivered to the most underprivileged communities.

Charity Bakeries employs staff who are selected from local communities including vulnerable people who are food insecure, women who are widows, and older persons with large families. Ingredients are procured locally, and families of concern are provided with vouchers which are brought to the bakery in exchange for loaves of bread.

Security concerns have left international organizations unable to reach many aid recipients, which highlights the need to procure as many foodstuffs and ingredients as possible from local sources. UMR continues to leverage fluid on-the-ground networks to reach families who lack the basic means to survive and ensure that lack of funds, conflict, or location does not stop people from accessing food.

Cholera Emergency Response (Yemen)

Cholera Emergency Response in Hodeidah and Raymah Governorates – Funded by UMR & WHO

Almost five years of intense conflict have exacted a heavy toll on Yemen’s health system, impeding the proper functioning of its water and sanitation services. As such, the spread of diarrhoeal diseases has reached unprecedented levels; the World Health Organization reported in October 2017, there were over 815,000 suspected cases of cholera. The seriousness of this is underlined by the fact the only other major outbreak of cholera since 1949 (the humanitarian crisis following the Haiti earthquake in 2010) recorded a similar number of cases over a seven year period – Yemen has managed to surpass this in six months. Worst affected by cholera and other waterborne illnesses are the country’s most vulnerable. With little to no resources for public health departments and sanitation workers, the ability of Yemen to both prevent and fight the disease is greatly weakened.

In partnership with the WHO and HA, this project improved access to cholera treatment through the establishment of 5 cholera treatment centers (CTCs) and 34 oral rehydration centers (ORCs) to reduce the spread and limit the overall mortality rate of cholera in the targeted communities & districts of Al Hodeidah and Raymah Governorates in Yemen.

Yemen Crisis

AS YEMEN CRISIS WORSENS, THE HUMANITARIAN ALLIANCE FOR YEMEN LAUNCHES MEDICAL MISSION

Washington (November 6, 2019) – In response to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen, the Humanitarian Alliance for Yemen is set to deploy a new short-term medical mission early this month.

Led by MedGlobal, the new medical mission will commence today and end on November 23, 2019, with the overall objective of providing emergency healthcare and educational services to vulnerable populations in the Hadhramout and Ma’rib governorates in Yemen.

“More than 90% of the people of Yemen are in need of assistance. There is an epidemic of cholera that has affected 1 million Yemenis, and caused thousands of deaths. There is severe malnutrition among children, and people are dying unnecessarily from treatable conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer,” says the Humanitarian Alliance for Yemen.

Throughout the mission, an internationally diverse and skilled team will be volunteering in the Yemeni cities of Seiyun (Hadhramout) city and Ma’rib city. The 23-member medical team will provide services like internal medicine, surgeries, medical trainings, and hold daily lectures and workshops to cover the most critical medical topics and daily challenges in local healthcare facilities and propose practical solutions. In addition, the Alliance will supply multiple local healthcare facilities with vital medical equipment, surgical supplies, and essential medications.

This mission comes amid a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation where 19.7 million people in Yemen lack access to basic health services due to the severe collapse of essential systems. Most beneficiaries of this medical mission will be internally displaced people (IDPs) who face a wide range of protection needs and vulnerabilities.

“It is our duty to alleviate pain and suffering whenever possible. The people of Yemen have suffered enough. UMR is dedicated to scaling up its programming to reach as many people in Yemen as possible with immediate aid,” says Dr. Abed Ayoub, President & CEO of UMR.

This new initiative of the four U.S.-based nonprofit organizations that makeup the Humanitarian Alliance for Yemen (UMRMedGlobal, Project HOPE, and Pure Hands) is part of broader efforts to ease the humanitarian crisis and respond to the health needs of Yemenis after five years of conflict.

Contact:
Nagwa Abdallah
Communications Officer, UMR
nabdallah@umrelief.org
(202) 370-6963 x112

Saving Yemen

SAVING YEMEN: UMR TEAMS UP TO LAUNCH HIGHLY COORDINATED RESPONSE

Meeting health and nutrition needs are top priorities for new Humanitarian Alliance for Yemen

Washington (August 14, 2019) – UMR has joined with MedGlobal, Project HOPE, and Pure Hands to form the Humanitarian Alliance for Yemen to launch a closely coordinated, holistic response to the continually worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The four U.S.-based nonprofit organizations will leverage their expertise and resources to deliver humanitarian and development assistance to the people of Yemen and address the needs of millions of people in rapid decline after five years of conflict.

“The crisis in Yemen is widely seen as the world’s most dire humanitarian catastrophe, and we must act with even greater urgency to save the millions of Yemeni women, children and men who struggle each day to stay alive, safe and healthy,” says the alliance. “Our goal is to ensure we deliver services that complement each other and ultimately help people recover and rebuild faster.”

The Humanitarian Alliance for Yemen will work to engage local Yemeni organizations to focus on hardest-hit and so far unreached or under-served communities where malnutrition and disease are rampant – delivering food, medical supplies and medicines, in addition to providing emergency and other critical medical services. In the longer term, with an improved security environment, the alliance will aim to empower Yemeni communities to support themselves with sustainable programs focusing on rebuilding the health infrastructure and the capacity of Yemeni health workers.

“Our organizations have done tremendous work individually in Yemen, but the situation is too dire for any one organization to create an impact. UMR has been working diligently to provide medical equipment and services to tackle the cholera outbreak and minimize the acute malnutrition plaguing the children of Yemen. We look forward to creating an even greater impact through the alliance,” says Dr. Abed Ayoub, President & CEO of UMR.

Now in its sixth year, the conflict in Yemen has pushed the country to near economic collapse and grave human catastrophe. Today about 80% of the population is in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, and about one-third – 10 million people – cannot find enough food to eat. Nearly 18 million Yemenis do not have access to clean water and sanitation, triggering the worst cholera outbreak in recorded history, with more than 1 million cases reported in the last two years alone. Fighting, shelling and airstrikes have caused early 100 civilian casualties per week, and tens of thousands of families have had to flee their homes.

About the Alliance Members
UMR’s health, education and food security programs aim to reduce the suffering of the most marginalized and vulnerable groups through immediate relief and development projects that provide tools and resources needed to increase their resilience and self-reliance.

MedGlobal provides sustainable health care services to the refugees, the displaced and the most vulnerable in crisis areas and low resources countries worldwide by deploying diverse short-term volunteer medical missions and partnering with local organizations.

Project HOPE operates around the world wherever the need is greatest, working side-by-side with health care workers and their communities, addressing the greatest public health challenges to enable people to live their best lives. We respond to disasters and health crises and stay on in communities long after disaster strikes to help find solutions to epidemics and any other neglected health needs.

Pure Hands focuses on alleviating poverty, providing economic opportunity, and delivering emergency relief. We work together to serve the larger community and to support the poor and most vulnerable groups, reducing their suffering through well-planned and comprehensive programs in health, food security, WASH, capacity building, livelihoods, and disaster preparedness and response. Our in-kind donations, in collaboration with a number of U.S.-based partners, have exceeded $18 million over the past three years alone, delivering health supplies, equipment and medicine to a number of hard to reach and under siege Yemeni localities.

Contact:
Nagwa Abdallah
Communications Officer, UMR
nabdallah@umrelief.org
(202) 370-6963 x112

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