Local Editor
A Saudi-led coalition airstrike campaign and economic blockade, beginning nearly nine months ago, continues to make accessing water even more difficult for vulnerable rural communities in one of the world’s most water-scarce countries.
Widespread shortages of fuel caused by the economic blockade have led to dramatically increased prices of water, as pumps for wells, water delivery trucks and urban water networks all rely on the limited amounts of fuel available to operate. Increases in water prices are coming at a time of dramatic inflation when families are already struggling to afford basic household items. As new needs exacerbate an existing water access crisis, an estimated 20.4 million people in Yemen are now in need of humanitarian aid related to water, sanitation or hygiene.
While these shortages have affected communities across Yemen, rural areas are uniquely at risk, where 70% of Yemenis live and access to water has always been more difficult when compared to urban areas. Households in rural areas cannot rely on piped water networks like in some urban areas, where support has been provided by international organizations. Available water sources are often scarce and strained by a dramatic rise in the number of internally displaced people [IDPs]. They are placing an enormous burden on existing water sources, which already struggled to meet the water needs of communities before the crisis.
In rural Al Dhale’e, communities report that they are unable to access sufficient amounts of water as they need to travel long distances to reach clean water, that the available water is not safe to drink and that water is simply too expensive. Alarmingly, there is a reported increase in people relying on unprotected open wells and unprotected springs, compared to before the crisis. Without support, there is an increased risk of malnutrition and water-borne diseases, with community members widely reporting increasing rates of diarrhea amongst children.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
