The WHO has anounced that it is withdrawing from those parts of Yemen controlled by the Houthi rebels

 (May 11) The World Health Organization(WHO) announced over the weekend that they are withdrawing from the parts of Yemen in the north controlled by the Houthi rebels. The Houthis are supported by Iran.

The order and its rationale

The announcement claimed that there were ""credible threats and perceived risks" in the areas. The move is said to be designed to pressure the Houthis to be more transparent about the number of cases in the area it controls information needed by WHO to determine its actions.

Some aspects of the report appear somewhat contradictory saying at the same time that staff are being withdrawn from areas but at the same time that the operation is not suspended: "The WHO order was issued because of "credible threats and perceived risks which could have an impact on staff security", the agency said, adding operations were not suspended."

Another part of the announcement implies that in certain areas WHO operation are suspended: "A WHO directive issued late on Saturday notified staff in Sanaa, the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, the northern province of Saada, and the central province of Ibb that "all movements, meetings or any other activity" for staff in those areas were paused until further notice." These are areas controlled by the Houthis. No explanation is given of the seeming contradictory aspects of the announcement. In any case it seems clear that many WHO operations are suspended in Houthi areas for now.

Main threats are from Saudi-led air attacks

For years now a Saudi-led coalition has been attempting to restore the previous Hadi government but so far has been unable to dislodge the Houthis from most of the north. The UAE is part of the coalition fighting the Houthis but they have also allied themselves with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) which now has control of much of the south which they now announce they rule as reported on the appended video. This creates a huge problem for the Saudis as Hadi wants a unified Yemen and has reacted against an earlier peace deal that would have seen the STC share government posts within a Hadi government.

The main threat to WHO in Houthi controlled areas is bombing or artillery fire from Saudi-controlled areas. WHO did not always get along with Houthi officials but they did not have that many problems except that Saudis hit a hospital occasionally.

Withholding aid will exacerbate humanitarian situation

The WHO actions will exacerbate the situation of people in the Houthi-held areas. The Saudi strategy seems to be to keep those in Houthi-controlled areas desperate for food and medication. The Saudis are using a humanitarian as a weapon to help defeat the Houthis.

Published previously in the Digital Journal

International Committee of Red Cross reports 300,000 cases of cholera in Yemen

The Red Cross says that more than 7,000 new suspected cases are diagnosed each day in a country hit by war and economic collapse as well as near famine. The epidemic has been raging now for 10 weeks. While the spread of cholera in the worst hit regions has slowed, the disease is spreading to other areas. The worst hit areas are in the west of the country where there has been a continuous war between a Saudi-led coalition supporting the government of Mansour Hadi in the port city of Aden and Houthi rebels who hold much of the north-west of Yemen and the capital Sanaa.

The war has helped the spread of the disease caused by human waste getting into food or water. It thrives where there is poor sanitation. A few cases are now appearing further east in the Hadramawt region and Mukalla port. The economic collapse has resulted in 30,000 health workers going unpaid for more than 10 months. The UN has issued "incentive payments" to get them involved in a campaign to fight cholera. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set up a network of rehydration points. These together with what is left of the Yemeni health system has managed to keep the death rate relatively low at just 0.6 percent of cases. Even so, more than 1,700 have lost their lives to the disease.

The spread of the disease has caused humanitarian organizations to divert some resources from tackling the malnutrition issue to combating the disease. UN humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrich said:"Humanitarian organisations have had to reprogramme their resources away from malnutrition and reuse them to control the cholera outbreak. And if we don't get these resources replaced, then using those resources for cholera will mean that food insecurity will suffer." There are almost 19 million Yemenis reliant upon aid, and according to the Red Cross this is the world's largest single humanitarian crisis. Only 45 per cent of Yemen's hospitals are operational and medicines and medical supplies are scarce.

In theory prevention of cholera is simple. Wash your hands with clean water. Drink clean water. Eat food that has been boiled or well cooked. However, clean water in Yemen is scarce. In Sanaa the capital the municipal workers have not been paid in months. There is no electricity and rubbish is piling up in the streets. However, there are 17 cholera treatment centers across Yemen.

WHO has decided it will be unlikely to try to attempt a cholera vaccination campaign in Yemen, reversing a decision to do so made a month ago. The reversal is due to the already rampant spread of the disease and security conditions. A spokesperson for the WHO, Christian Lindmeier, said doses
readied for shipment to Yemen will probably be sent to other parts of the world in danger from the disease saying: “There is a likelihood they will not be used anymore in Yemen and therefore rerouted to other areas/countries who may need them more urgently right now.” The announcement came as a surprise to many.

Saudi-led bombing in Yemen exacerbates the humanitarian disaster

Hodeida - White House National Security Council spokesperson Alistair Baskey said that the US is very concerned over recent Saudi-led air strikes on the Yemeni port city of Hodeida in Yemen.

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The port is used by the UN as a key entrance to deliver aid to areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthi rebels. The strikes that are supposedly aimed at the Houthi rebels in control of Hodeida, reportedly killed dock workers and damaged infrastructure needed for the port to function properly. Baskey said:"We are deeply concerned by the August 18 attack on critical infrastructure at the port of Hodeida in Yemen.The port is a crucial lifeline used to provide medicine, food and fuel to Yemen's population."Saudi bombing has before interfered with delivery of aid. In the capital the runway at the Sanaa airport was bombed to prevent an Iranian aid plane from landing. The Saudis suspected the plane carried military equipment. However, the bombing prevented UN aid planes from landing as well.

The bombing of Hodeida has been criticized also by the EU and the UN. A UN aid official told the UN Security Council that the attacks were 'in clear contravention of international humanitarian law'. Stephen O'brien who is head of UN aid said that the raids could severely impact an already deepening humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Almost 80 percent of Yemen's population of 26 million are now in need of aid with more than a million forced to leave their homes because of the conflict. After more than 150 days of conflict, nearly 4,500 have been killed since the Saudi-led air campaign began. Hospitals and rescue teams have been targeted making it too dangerous in some instances for medical aid agencies to help. At the same, medical facilities lack critical supplies. Even in Aden, recently retaken by forces loyal to the Hadi government-in-exile the situation is so bad that the Red Cross has withdrawn its personnel because of the security situation. Part of Aden is now under control of fighters from Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula.

The UN health agency notes that nearly half of Yemen's health facilities have simply shut down leaving wounded civilians fewer and fewer places to receive treatment. In contested areas such as the central city of Taiz the situation is drastic. Dr. Ahmed Shadout of WHO said: “In Taiz, the ongoing crisis has led to the closure of many health facilities and access to health facilities for the injured civilians and doctors is almost becoming impossible; shortages of basic and lifesaving medicines, medical supplies, laboratory reagents in the health facilities are fast dwindling with limited access for replenishing,”Funds for WHO operations are meagre with the organization receiving only $25 million of $132 million it had requested.

The Saudis have targeted residential areas in some instances most recently in Taiz and Hodeida.The Saudis have also been accused of using cluster bombs in some bombing attacks. While there is an international treaty banning their use, neither the US nor Saudi Arabia have signed on to the treaty. A Pentagon official told US News that "the US is aware that Saudi Arabia has used cluster munitions in Yemen". The US considers the bombs a legitimate military weapon.