Yemen: 18,000 people have been displaced following violent clashes in Abs

Flashquote: Jaume Radó, Head of Mission for MSF’s operations in Yemen.

“After a period of relative calm in north Abs, intense fighting over the past several days has forced 18,000 people to flee their homes. There are now 50,000 displaced people living in Abs and the surrounding area, with more people expected to arrive if the situation deteriorates further. In MSF’s hospital in Abs, medical teams saw a marked increase of war wounded patients. This facility is the only structure providing secondary healthcare and life-saving medical services to over 1.2 million people living in the region.

The main humanitarian needs of the newly displaced people are urgent: an increase in medical assistance is needed, as well as access to clean water, shelter, food and basic relief items. The provision of water and sanitation services is of particular importance, given that Yemen is suffering an increase in cholera cases, aggravating the already weakened medical condition of the population. MSF has a fully functioning cholera treatment centre in Abs and is currently setting up an additional facility should cases continue to rise.  

Our teams are incredibly concerned for people we still cannot reach due to security constraints. MSF calls on all warring parties to ensure the protection of civilians, medical staff and healthcare facilities, so that basic services can be provided for displaced people and those injured in the conflict.”