Families fleeing fighting in Yemen face harsh desert winter in camp for displaced people
Forced to flee fighting in Yemen’s war, Yehya Hayba and his family have found themselves crammed into a desert tent with dozens of others, fearing the onset of winter.
Mr Hayba, his wife and their seven children escaped to Al Sumya camp east of Marib city, the government’s last northern stronghold, after clashes intensified nearby.
The family, displaced for the second time in the seven-year civil war, have nothing but two blankets to keep them warm during the cold nights.
“It is part of the Empty Quarter desert,” said Mr Hayba, 39.
“There are no humanitarian services, no schools, no hospitals or any other services.”
Al Sumya, with its clusters of makeshift tents, has recorded an influx of displaced people, the International Organisation for Migration said.
The camp, with scant resources, bears testament to a conflict that has forced millions from their homes, creating what the UN calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
“We have been displaced two or three times now,” said Ali Abdullah, another of the camp’s residents. “We have not received blankets or mattresses, and the cold is going to kill us.”
The Hayba family share a tent with six other families, with only two bales of straw for about 35 people to sleep on.
“We suffer from a lot of problems here,” he said. “We can’t put up a curtain for privacy, and we don’t even have the capability to set up a proper bathroom.
“Every three or four children share one blanket.”
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels began a push to seize the city of Marib in February and, after a lull in fighting, they renewed their campaign in September. Despite aerial bombardment from the Saudi-led Coalition, the Houthis claim to be tightening their grip around Marib, with fighting raging to the north, west and south of the city. IOM spokeswoman Angela Wells said about 60 families were sheltering at Al Sumya until this month, when an estimated 1,200 fleeing families arrived.
She said the IOM had started to offer services at the camp, including emergency relief items, bringing in water and building latrines and water tanks. But concerns are growing. “With the winter months approaching, we worry that many do not have the clothing, blankets and other basic items they will need to stay safe and warm, especially those living in makeshift shelters that are not equipped to protect people from the elements,” Ms Wells said.
Between 20,000 and 30,000 people lived in Marib city before the war but its population increased to hundreds of thousands as Yemenis fled cities on the front line for its relative stability.
With about 139 camps for the displaced in the province, according to the government, hosting about 2.2 million people, many displaced civilians are in the line of fire once again.
More than 45,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in Marib province in the past two months, the IOM has said.
On Sunday, the UN children’s agency said it was supporting more than 7,500 people in the camp by providing clean water, hygiene kits and portable toilets.