According to the United Nations, more than 4.5 million Yemeni displaced people face very difficult humanitarian conditions as a result of displacement. It is a situation that is further aggravated in camps due to the lack of clean drinking water, toilets, and healthcare services, while a country that is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises is experiencing an exacerbation of water problems.

Marib governorate represents the most accommodating governorate in Yemen for the displaced, as a large part of them live in worn-out camps in a harsh desert environment.

The lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene services in these camps has become one of the most pressing crises threatening the lives of the displaced, mostly women and children.

As a result, HUMAN ACCESS has been involved in resolving these crises, and with the support of the Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF), has made a positive difference in the lives of displaced families in two camps for the displaced, "Al Muthanna" and "Bir al Walidain", by providing life-saving water assistance to the most vulnerable IDPs and host communities in Marib under an emergency water project.

Multiple achievements and beneficiaries

The project is one of the qualitative and sustainable projects that response to the urgent needs of the most vulnerable displaced people in the two targeted camps and the host communities in the region that lack the most basic public services and infrastructure.

Considering the poor health conditions in the camps for the displaced, which negatively affect people's lives and health, the project plays a key role in reducing the spread of diseases and epidemics.

Through the YHF-funded project, HUMAN ACCESS has improved access of the most vulnerable IDP families and host communities in Al-Muthanna and Bir Al-Walidain camps to improved water and sanitation facilities, basic hygiene supplies and raised communities' awareness to promote healthy practices related to WASH.

567 families in the two targeted camps benefited from the services of this project during the period (October 2022 - July 2023).

The services included an installation of 27 public water tanks (water distribution points) with a capacity of 2,000 liters, a supply of 5,005,800 liters of potable water for 3,275 displaced persons, a rehabilitation of Al Muthanna water project, and the execution of 12 general hygiene campaigns.

In addition, 179 latrines were constructed, including 6 latrines for people with special needs, 1,482 basic and consumable hygiene kits were distributed, and 20 volunteers were trained on hygiene promotion, mobilization and advocacy.

Moreover, 3,629 sessions and home visits were carried out to increase the public awareness about the basic messages of water and environmental sanitation.

Furthermore, the hygiene fund supported the collection and transport of about 450 cubic meters of garbage from the two camps using 50 300-liter plastic garbage barrels.

Maintaining IDPs health and dignity

The project to provide emergency and life-saving water and sanitation assistance to the most vulnerable IDPs and host communities in Marib has helped improve access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene practices, and living in a sustainable environment.

Keeping the residents of Al-Muthanna and Bir Al-Waidain camps away from the brink of abyss is another tangible success of the project.

In his statement, Dr. Amin Ali Omar, the project manager, said that the project helped bridge the gap in basic water and environmental sanitation services suffered by the displaced in the targeted areas.

The project has also worked to provide life necessities that many displaced people could not afford, as the process of fetching water has no longer become an arduous, exhausting and dangerous task as it was in the past, besides the toilets worked to preserve the health, dignity and privacy of the displaced.

According to Dr. Amin, the deterioration of the infrastructure of the water and sanitation sector and the high costs of water in the country exacerbate the suffering of the displaced who have lost their homes and income sources.

In this regard, the project has been instrumental in bringing about an actual and valuable change in the lives of the beneficiaries, especially women and children, as it has helped eliminate diseases and epidemics that spread due to a lack of clean water.

A number of the displaced and the host community in the targeted locations expressed their gratitude to HUMAN ACCESS and YHF for this great intervention and these essential services for their lives, which became within their reach after they were finding it very difficult to obtain them, allowing them to focus on other aspects of life in a country that has been mired in conflict for years.

International reports describe this country as having the sixth largest displacement crisis in the world, with three-quarters of its population without access to clean water and sanitation.