Sana’a – Yemen’s crippling fuel shortage is affecting the functioning of essential public facilities like water points and hospitals. Supporting key facilities, the Yemen Multisectoral Contingency Stock Pipeline has provided over 42,000 litres of diesel fuel via eight local humanitarian partners and will deliver an additional 120,000 litres in the coming weeks. This vital fuel support will help the functioning of services for more than 180,000 people. 

“The fuel crisis in Yemen has worsened an already dire humanitarian situation,” said Christa Rottensteiner, IOM Yemen Chief of Mission.

“People in need of support cannot access health care or clean water without electricity.  Given how unreliable the electricity network is due to the crisis, essential services often rely on fuel powered generators. Leaving vulnerable communities without such services during the current deadly surge of COVID-19 in Yemen is extremely concerning,” she added.

Managed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), the Yemen Multisectoral Contingency Stock Pipeline provides humanitarian partners with relief items like shelter materials, hygiene kits, emergency latrines and fuel to meet emergency needs quickly. The Pipeline is able to operate through support from the Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF).

The Pipeline has recently ramped up its assistance to partners working with facilities for which service provision has suffered as a result of lack of fuel. Without fuel for generators, health facilities, which often have intermittent access to electricity, cannot function, nor can pumps used in water systems. Since December 2020, the Pipeline has provided fuel to partners to support the functioning of 11 health facilities, six water points and two cleaning campaigns.

Through other programmes, IOM also supports Yemeni power needs through solar energy. This is particularly the case when the Organization constructs water networks and provides solar powered pumping systems.

The Pipeline was established in January 2020, providing 26 humanitarian partners with critical relief items across 49 districts and reaching over 210,000 people with support. Once all the fuel has been distributed the total population supported is expected to be more than 340,000 individuals. The Pipeline has been instrumental responding to the needs of displaced populations in conflict hotspots like Ma’rib, Hajjah and Al Hodeidah.

“This unique project allows a rapid response to emergency needs, led by local responders of national and international non-governmental organizations,” added Rottensteiner.

The Pipeline ensures more efficient access to remote or hard to reach locations by humanitarian organizations and enables a timely response by cluster partners to urgent needs through accessing common pipeline supplies. It will continue to adapt to emergency needs as they arise.

For more information, please contact IOM Yemen:

• Arabic: Rami Ibrahim, Tel: + +967739888756, Email: ralabsi@iom.int
• English: Olivia Headon, Tel: +967730552233 Email: oheadon@iom.int