Humanitarian Programming
Understanding the Issue
Yemen’s economic resources are limited in scope and accessibility. Much of the country’s population (70%) lives in a village that is dependent on meager rainfall for local farming or on remittance income from relatives working far away.
This economic structure creates a fragile economic system, which can be upset by desert locusts, adverse weather patterns or national crisis.
The crisis which began in 2015 has dramatically affected the economy of Yemen and as a result the ability of the population to provide for themselves. Food security is the major concern for the impoverished nation since the importation of food commodities and other essential assets are often restricted. Purchasing power has continued to shrink with the Yemeni Riyal’s value continuing to plunge from pre-crisis levels.
The damage is not restricted to just purchasing power, but with the reduction in health care services and poor nutrition has meant that preventable diseases have begun to run rampant. These conditions were also the breeding ground for an unprecedented outbreak of cholera and water borne illnesses.
The debris from the fighting throughout the country has left neighborhoods littered with landmines and unexploded ordnance. Internally displaced Yemenis returning to their communities often become casualties due to such remnants.
Our Response
ITDC has been actively engaged with relief and recovery efforts since the outbreak of the crisis in 2015 and has focused on increasing food security as well as safety while improving livelihoods and overall well-being of individuals and communities.
Whenever possible, ITDC seeks to engage communities in cross sector responses where food assistance is accompanied by WASH, protection and livelihood activities. Since its establishment in 1969, ITDC has provided recovery initiatives to help Yemenis have a brighter future such as seeking to undertake local community led project initiatives as part of every humanitarian project.
FOOD ASSISTANCE: As an active member of the UN Food Security and Agriculture Cluster, ITDC is engaged in providing access to food for vulnerable Yemeni households. Food assistance is provided through either 1) food commodity distribution or 2) cash programming while nutrition and financial management awareness assist to maximize the potential impact of the provisions. Within the food distribution efforts, ITDC identifies communities in urgent needs, purchases food stocks from local vendors, and then delivers food baskets containing staple foods to the most vulnerable households. The cash programming activities provide purchasing power to communities in urgent need to allow them to prioritize the food commodities they most need. Across these efforts, ITDC has thus far reached more than 250,000 men, women and children.
WASH: ITDC helps Yemenis obtain access to clean water while equipping them to maintain an adequate level of hygiene to prevent the spread of disease. WASH activities have included water filter as well as hygiene kit distributions alongside hygiene awareness campaigns generally in conjunction with food distributions to respond to the cross sector needs.
PROTECTION: The focus of ITDC’s protection initiatives includes both trauma support and landmine/UXO awareness. ITDC also seeks to protect the marginalized and vulnerable in the communities from abuse while preventing injuries or loss of life due to a lack of awareness of the present dangers.
LIVELIHOODS: The activities in this sector are focused on assisting community members restart or re-engage with income generation and employment opportunities. Such initiatives include providing access to emergency agriculture kits (seeds and tools), funding labor associated with community rehabilitation projects, or equipping people with vocational or organizational skills to qualify for existing opportunities. Vocational training also includes a solar energy program, which equips solar installers to gain employment, or a leadership program, which equips participants to successfully perform in the business sector.
