Displaced Yemenis: Survey reveals huge needs of returnees and returnees in 12 governorates

A government survey study revealed, on Sunday, the enormous needs of returnees affected by the war in the return areas in 12 liberated governorates.

This came in a study by the Executive Unit for Displaced Persons, entitled “Returnees in Yemen,” which was launched today and addressed the humanitarian situation of returnees in 12 Yemeni governorates.

The study explained the details of the reality of returnees in their homes and return areas, their numbers, locations, and needs within the various humanitarian sectors based on a comprehensive field survey.

The Executive Unit for Displaced Persons - a government institution affiliated with the Prime Ministry - concerned with managing, protecting and assisting displaced persons and returnees, said that the number of returnees in the liberated areas in Yemen reached 410,770 families, equivalent to two million, 199 thousand and 60 individuals, distributed in (1,433) areas, with Aden Governorate ranking first, with (755,036) returnees, representing (34.33%) of the total returnees in the liberated governorates, and (49%) of the total returnees in the areas.

The study revealed that 271,197 cases of weakness were recorded among returnees.

Humanitarian needs

Surveys revealed that the number of completely destroyed homes in the areas of return reached 40,163 homes, or 6.42% of the total number of homes, 625,538 homes, while the partially destroyed homes reached 93,011 homes, or 14.87%.

She explained that 1,433 return areas need furniture, shelter materials, and home renovation, with 434 areas needing furniture and shelter materials, 239 needing other materials, and 760 needing home renovation, most of which are in Taiz and Shabwa.

In the water and environmental sanitation sector, the study revealed that (43.34%) of the areas where returnees are located do not have water projects, (1122) areas do not have a public sewage network distributed over 73 directorates and 12 governorates, (1091) areas in which sewage is discharged randomly into unplanned septic tanks, and 51.22% of sewage networks in 73 directorates and 1433 areas are stopped due to lack of maintenance.

The study showed that 236 water projects are not operating in 73 directorates and 12 governorates included in the survey. While 17% of returnee areas need to establish an integrated water network, and 18% of returnee areas need to maintain water networks/pumps.

In the health and nutrition sector, the report said, “The number of returnee areas that are in dire need of health facilities is 835 areas, representing 58%. The study revealed the health facilities that have stopped working, as it stated that 28% of health facilities in the return areas do not receive support, and 26% of health facilities in the return areas are destroyed due to the war.”

The report explained that "24% of health facilities in the return areas do not have a medical staff, 9% of health facilities have not been completed, while 16% of health facilities need maintenance and partial restoration. 67% of health facilities need medical supplies, 16% of health facilities need complete rehabilitation, and 40% of health facilities need ambulances."

She added that 56% of health facilities in the return areas need support for health staff with salaries, and 12% of health facilities need to complete construction.

In the food security sector, the study showed that (285,388) returning families do not have a fixed source of income, representing 45% of the total number of returning families, while (86,874) families are unable to practice their previous work (i.e. before displacement).

She pointed out that (41,648) returning families need to reclaim agricultural lands. Data analysis showed that (91,307) returning families depend on agriculture as a primary source of livelihood and (112,908) families depend on daily wages as a secondary source of livelihood.

In the education sector, the report issued by the survey revealed that the number of schools in the return areas included in the survey and distributed over 73 directorates amounted to (1724) schools, while 28.12% of the return areas included in the return areas do not have schools. The report indicated that 103,194 students are not enrolled in education distributed over 1433 regions, 73 directorates and 12 governorates, while the number of children of school age amounted to (513857).

The report indicated that 135 schools in the return areas are not operating due to the lack of teaching staff, while 364 schools need complete rehabilitation, and 1,214 schools, at a rate of 69.89%, need support with teaching staff.

The report revealed that 48% of higher education facilities are not performing their duties at the required level due to the lack of teaching staff, 14.49% of higher education buildings in the return areas need to be completed, 35.27% of higher education facilities need to provide educational supplies, while 33.82% of those facilities need to provide teaching staff.

In the protection sector, the study revealed that “22,512 families lost their documents, distributed across 1,433 regions, 73 directorates, and 12 governorates, and 315,248 families need legal support, while 76,231 families need legal advice.”

The study showed that "there are 15 directorates out of a total of 73 directorates in which police departments need to be rehabilitated so that they can perform their role at the required level. The study cited several reasons for the police departments to stop performing their duties due to the war, at a rate of 40%, while 60% of the reasons are due to weak capabilities. It indicated that "36 directorates, at a rate of 49%, have courts that do not perform their role, while 37 directorates, at a rate of (51), have courts that perform their role, and 59% of the reasons for the courts stopping were due to war conditions, while 41% of the reasons were due to the destruction of the buildings of the courts.

The study stated that 20.17% of the areas included in the survey are contaminated with mines, and 25 directorates, representing 34% of the total 73 directorates included in the survey, do not have a civil status office, while 48 directorates, representing 66%, have a civil status office.

Recommendations

The study recommended working on permanent solutions by adopting sustainable projects and working through government institutions providing the service, adopting an exit strategy in all projects implemented by organizations, and the necessity of working to find a mechanism to provide needs in all humanitarian sectors.

It also recommended "promoting community peace and reducing tension between host and hosted communities."

The study stressed the "necessity of joint work between state institutions and the humanitarian team, and that this is the only way to deal with the humanitarian crisis, alleviate its impact, and involve returnees in planning for their future."