Victim assistance action points

• Improve the collection of casualty data and ensure that information about services for persons with disabilities are available to stakeholders, including civil society organizations as recommended by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
• Resume victim assistance coordination.
• Revise and implement the National Victim Assistance Strategic Plan 2010–2015 to address the existing situation and needs.
• Provide long-term support to survivors.
• Increase the availability of psychosocial support.
• Improve accessibility of buildings.

Victim assistance planning and coordination

International commitments and obligations

Laws and policies

Legislation protects the rights of persons with disabilities, but they were poorly enforced and discrimination remained in the Republic of Yemen. The law reserves 5% of government jobs for persons with disabilities.[4] Although the law mandates that new buildings have access for persons with disabilities, compliance was poor.[5]

Major Developments in 2017–2018

Ongoing conflict throughout 2017 caused all victim assistance activities, including coordination, to stop in Yemen.

Since 2015, YEMAC is working according to an emergency plan and focusing solely on mine clearance. In 2017 through 2018, there was no victim assistance program in place in Yemen, because funding for victim assistance was lacking.[6] Similarly, YEMAC Aden and the UNDP Aden office reported that no services were provided to mine/ERW survivors due to a lack of funding.[7]

The Fund for the Care and Rehabilitation of the Disabled in Sanaa, an independent body, which provided limited basic services and supported more than 60 NGOs assisting persons with disabilities remained operational in some areas of the country, however, during 2017–2018, the fund lost 86% of its financial resources. As a result, support to mine/ERW victims decreased.[8]

In 2017, victim assistance services were reported to be insufficient.[9]

Needs assessment

YEMAC’s victim assistance team screened 1,394 mine/ERW survivors in 2017 in five out of 22 governorates.[10]

UNICEF collected information on children who were killed or injured by mine/ERW and children with disabilities, in order to identify vulnerable children and provide services to address their needs or refer them to appropriate services.[11]

Medical care and rehabilitation

The ongoing conflict dramatically increased demand for emergency and ongoing medical care beyond the capacity of the medical system.[12] In addition to increased demand for emergency medical care, import restrictions and damaged port infrastructure prevented humanitarian aid, food, fuel, and medical supplies from reaching populations affected by the conflict.[13] Only 50% of all health facilities remained functional, and the remaining half facedsevere shortages in medicines, equipment, and staff.[14]

In 2017, the ICRC provided support to emergency and surgical treatment, including through first-aid training and supplies. Medical professionals were trained in mass-casualty management, emergency-room trauma care, and war surgery.[15] The ICRC supported 27 hospitals, including eight with ICRC staff on site. War-wounded people including 201 patients injured by mine/ERW received treatment at ICRC-supported hospitals.[16] The ICRC fully managed two facilities in Aden and Saada.[17] The Yemen Red Crescent Society expanded its emergency response capacities with ICRC support. It provided emergency transport for health referrals and medical evacuations.[18]

In 2017, YEMAC’s victim assistance team provided mobility and assistive devices to 673 mine/ERW survivors (almost half were children) in five governorates.[19] However, YEMAC’s healthcare plan does not provide for long-term support for mine/ERW survivors.[20] Mine/ERW survivors are not covered by health insurance.[21] There was no specific mechanism in place for managing the needs of new mine/ERW victims.[22]

In 2017, more than 6,600 amputees were among over 70,000 persons with disabilities who obtained physical rehabilitation services at five ICRC-supported centers in Aden, Mukalla, Sanaa, Taiz, and Saada.[23] Over 670 new patients were fitted with prostheses.[24] The ICRC supported 12% of the cost of raw materials for the Sanaa Orthopedic Center and all its branches in other governorates, and covered the cost of transportation and accommodation for about 80 destitute patients to reach orthopedic services.[25] The ICRC also donated wheelchairs for the social affairs ministry’s physical rehabilitation programs.[26] To ensure the sustainability of physical rehabilitation services, around 80 physical rehabilitation professionals and 22 students were trained either locally or abroad.[27]

In 2017, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provided support to more than 20 hospitals and health centers in 11 Yemeni governorates: Taiz, Aden, Al-Dhale, Saada, Amran, Hajjah, Ibb, Sanaa, Hodaida, Abyan, and Lahj.[28] Since 2015, 72,300 patients were treated in MSF facilities.[29] MSF also provided medical supplies and equipment in 2017.[30]

In 2017, Humanity and Inclusion (HI, formerly Handicap International) supported eight health facilities in Sanaa with rehabilitation equipment, training on rehabilitation care and inclusion, and capacity-building on war injury management for physiotherapists. HI also provided rehabilitation care to people who had limbs amputated and needed to learn to use artificial limbs, and delivered assistive devices.[31] In 2018, HI started providing prostheses and orthoses.[32] Children injured by the conflict in all but two governorates (Al Mahrah and Soqtra) received financial support from UNICEF in order to be able to access medical treatment, artificial limbs, and mobility devices. UNICEF also provided medical supplies and raw materials to rehabilitation centers. Due to increased funding in 2017, a greater number of children received these services compared to 2016.[33]

Socio-economic and psychosocial inclusion

The Yemen Association of Landmine Survivors (YALS) is the mine action center’s implementing partner for economic reintegration activities. From 2004 to the end of 2017, YALS provided vocational training to 808 mine survivors.[34] In 2017, 48 mine/ERW survivors including 36 women participated in the YALS livelihood program.[35] YALS was only able to provide psychological support to a small number of survivors (nine), including through hospital visits.[36]

In 2017, HI continued to provide psychosocial support to the war-wounded and their families.[37]

Local organizations and the ICRC promoted the social inclusion of persons with disabilities through sports and awareness-raising events.[38]

Cross-cutting

The UNDP reported that women, children, the elderly, and disabled are at greater risk of losing access to health services. Appropriate services—including outreach services, separated spaces, and availability of female health workers—which are necessary for women and children to access healthcare are lacking.[39] In coordination with the UNDP, the Al Hikma Foundation and YEMAC trained 15 women in victim assistance and mine risk education for 10 days.[40] This training of women would enable women and girls to better access victim assistance services.

HI continued to increase the number of female staff for both functional rehabilitation and psychosocial support,[41] which helps improve the access of female survivors to these services.

Accessibility of buildings remained an issue for mine/ERW survivors and other persons with disabilities, especially in rural areas.[42]

Victim assistance providers and activities