• More than 80% of Yemen's population has been affected by the country's year-long armed conflict.
• Although this humanitarian crisis is one of the most devastating in the world, it has been underrated and even ignored by much of the international community. It is time that world leaders act to reach a ceasefire and a permanent political solution.

The International NGO Forum in Yemen, a group of 40 non-governmental organizations active in Yemen and the Middle East region, is calling upon the international community for a swift resolution to the violent conflict that has led to an unprecedented humanitarian emergency there. 

"Five years ago, when conflict erupted in Syria, the world looked away. We cannot let history repeat itself in Yemen," said Daw Mohammed, director of Forum member CARE's operations in Yemen. "The needs are growing and it is time that the world recognize it and end the humanitarian crisis in this country. The only way for people to see reduced suffering is for conflict to end. Otherwise, aid workers will continue to lack access to the most vulnerable populations, and those populations won't be able to move freely or rebuild their lives."

Before conflict erupted, Yemen was already the poorest nation in the Middle East. Compounded now by the effects of fighting, it is that much harder for millions of Yemenis to survive the conflict, find enough food, and get access to clean water, health services, and housing. But despite the magnitude of the crisis, the international response remains grossly inadequate due to limited funds and limited efforts to find a political solution that would allow for proper access to those who need help the most.

Consequences of crisis

Of all the negative impacts of this emergency, food insecurity is one of the gravest. Some 14.4 million people need food assistance in Yemen, and more than half of them -- 7.6 million -- are facing severe food insecurity.

"The nutritional status of families is directly affected," explained Forum member Action Against Hunger's director in Yemen, Erin Hutchinson. "Ten of the 21 governorates here are at an emergency level of four, one step away from famine. One in three children suffer from severe acute malnutrition in the governorate of Hodeidah. Kids are arriving at treatment centers in very poor condition, and tend to be older than those we treated before the conflict started. It's a clear sign of the seriousness of the situation."

According to Mohammad Sajjad Sajid, national director in Yemen for Forum member Oxfam:

"Livelihoods across the country have been decimated because of the damage to infrastructure, limited and intermittent delivery of supplies, insecurity, and mass displacement." He recalled meeting a 30-year-old man named Galeeb, who lives in a camp for internally displaced Yemenis near Al-Hawban, in Taiz district. Galeeb had been searching for work without avail. "He said, 'It's very hard to go home empty handed to your family, when it likely means they won't eat for another day.' People have to earn a living to feed their families and lead dignified lives."

More than 3,000 civilians have been killed as continuous attacks by the various parties to the conflict damage or level schools, hospitals, and other public spaces. Fighting and access restrictions set by these parties prevent humanitarian organizations from providing assistance to people in need. The economy is deteriorating rapidly, further increasing human suffering and preventing the population from coping with the effects of conflict.

Long-term impacts

If the international community does not take concrete steps to help resolve the crisis, the impact on the civilian population can only get worse -- destabilizing the country and indeed the region for many years to come. The world would witness a new human tragedy that will be felt for generations. The International NGO Forum of Yemen calls upon the international community to increase pressure on all parties to the conflict to call a permanent ceasefire and find a sustainable, inclusive political solution. 

Edward Santiago, director of Forum member Save the Children in Yemen, has a bleak outlook for a Yemen that continues with conflict. "Twelve months of this has devastated the lives of millions of children, who have been deprived of food, clean water, health services, and education," he explained. "The current fighting and obstacles to humanitarian aid endanger the lives of many children, which add to an already unacceptable list of more than 2,000 children who have been killed or injured."

The International NGO Forum in Yemen is dedicated to serving the humanitarian needs of the country and advocating for an end to conflict which will allow sufficient access to their programs. The Forum was established in Sana'a in 2005, and consists of 40 aid groups who work in Yemen and the Middle East. The Forum also collaborates with International NGO Forum Aden, which was established in 2013 to facilitate coordination among international organizations, civil society, and the Yemeni government to ensure a common approach to serve the interests of those in need.