Yemen conflict - Catastrophic human cost
The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Peter Maurer, is on his way to Yemen today to highlight the catastrophic humanitarian situation facing the country.
It is estimated that more than 3,800 people have been killed and 1.3 million displaced so far in the conflict. No family in Yemen today has been left untouched.
Om Ahmad Al Qods, standing in the debris outside her house in Sana’a’s old city, says: "Ambulances could not reach victims because of the rubble and dust due to the explosion. Everyone's gone because of the explosion and they're afraid their houses will collapse on their heads. Even young children run away, afraid when they hear the sound of a plane.”
43 year old Salem Hassan Mashash fled his home with his wife and four of his seven children. He came to Bani Mansour where he has relatives but they couldn’t help him so for the last five months he has been in a camp with hundreds other displaced people.
“Our situation is very difficult. They burnt our beds and they burnt our homes. They destroyed our whole neighborhood. Four of my children are living with me. Three others are somewhere else in this world.”
Mashash and others in the camp have built shelters from whatever they could find - pieces of tissue, plastic bags and bottles. The ICRC food distribution is a lifeline and will keep Mashas and his family going for weeks. But this distribution is rare and hundreds of thousands are left without lifesaving deliveries of food, water and medicine.
A failure on all sides of the conflict to adhere to the laws of war is causing extreme suffering for the population. There have also been direct attacks on medical facilities and personnel in Taiz, Aden and other parts of the country.
During his visit (8-10 August), Mr Maurer will see the suffering first hand and meet leading officials in the country to push for greater access to reach people desperately in need.
Shotlist
Location: Various
Length: 3:21
Format: Mov H264 HD
Sound: Arabic
ICRC ref: AV347N
Date: Various
Copyright: ICRC access all
Saada, 30 July 2015
0:00 Destroyed houses
Sana’a, 29 July 2015
0:16 destroyed houses
SOUNBITE Om Ahmad Al Qods, woman (in Arabic):
0:29 Ambulances could not reach the victims because of the rubble and dust due to the explosion. Look at the dust. Almost all houses have cracks. What have we done to them? We are not rich. We have nothing to eat and we are not government officials. We have not looted the people interests? We are poor, doing no harm to others.
0:51 Children of the neighborhood play around here on the rubble but when they hear sound of the plane, they just take to their heels. Even young children run away when they hear sound of the plane and say “the plane the plane!”
Bani Mansour, 13 July 2015
1:12 ICRC cars
1:22 Various ICRC food distribution
1:47 Mashash carrying food items
SOUNDBITE: Saleh Hassan Mashash, man (in Arabic):
“I am displaced person who fled Sanaa. And we’ve been here for five months. We found good people here and stayed among them. Our situation is very difficult. They burnt our beds and our homes. They destroyed our whole neighborhoods.Only God stayed with us. Four of my children are living with me when three others are somewhere in this world."
Taiz, 29 July 2015
2:36 ICRC cards
2:44 Damaged hospital
3:21 END
