These young girls and their families were displaced by violence to the Tajikan IDP site, near Kandahar City. Most people taking refuge here fled violence in Zabul and some have been displaced for more than six years. They are relieved to be safe, but urgent needs include shelter, farming supplies, water, sanitation and hygiene. One woman said: “Where we came from, we had beautiful green gardens, we had a good life until the conflict." Another said: “You can find malnourished children in every second and third home." This photo was taken November 2019. OCHA/Charlotte Cans
Years of conflict continue to cause crippling humanitarian consequences in the Middle East and North Africa region. Vulnerable people’s ability to cope and meet their basic needs is hampered by the effects of COVID-19, macroeconomic decline and the climate crisis. Over 55 million people across the region need humanitarian assistance, including more than 12 million people who are internally displaced and facing a myriad of challenges.
Hostilities are devastating communities, increasing protection risks and concerns in oPt, Syria and Yemen, and exacerbating civilian suffering, deaths and injuries. Children and people in need are in extreme danger from daily indiscriminate attacks on schools and hospitals, preventing meaningful access to services. Many displaced people in Iraq, Libya, oPt, Syria and Yemen live in poor conditions in camps and settlements, with limited access to basic services and the potential risk of eviction.
The effects of conflict are compounded by recurring climatic shocks and extreme weather conditions, including floods and extended dry conditions. The frequency and magnitude of these shocks increases year on year. In Syria, erratic rainfall and tensions over water resource management have resulted in low water levels in the Euphrates River, affecting up to 5 million people. Floods in Yemen have displaced 34,000 families and spread preventable waterborne diseases, such as cholera. The socioeconomic impacts and containment measures associated with the pandemic have increased pre-existing vulnerabilities and stretched already weakened health-care systems. Vaccination rates remain low and vaccines difficult to access.
Across the region, many countries are battling economic collapse, including soaring food and fuel prices, currency depreciation, limited household revenue and rising unemployment. Families cannot afford basic goods and services including food, health care, education and water. Food insecurity and nutrition have continued to worsen, with millions of people in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen on the brink of hunger and resorting to negative coping mechanisms. Famine-like conditions are evident in parts of these countries.
Humanitarians continue to deliver assistance to affected people and minimize human suffering against a backdrop of challenges due to conflict, insecurity, the impact of sanctions on humanitarian response, blockades and bureaucratic impediments. Into 2022, the region is expected to face significant challenges. These will result in increasing humanitarian needs that require greater humanitarian effort in tandem with development assistance. Political solutions to the conflicts in oPt, Syria and Yemen are yet to materialize. As a result, millions of people cannot return to their homes or explore other durable solutions. Food insecurity persists and is expected to deteriorate, particularly in Yemen. Meanwhile, economic contraction is likely to worsen the standard of living for millions of people who will need additional humanitarian assistance.
Source: OCHA
