Researched by Souria Dabbousi
Map of Yemen and neighboring nations. Retrieved from https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/12-22/
Global Conflict & Crisis Strategic Solutions (GC2S2)
Our Mission: To contribute meaningfully in conflict zones and during times of crisis.
About us: GC2S2 is an action-based think tank in Tysons, Virginia, USA, focusing on the Middle East and Africa. We concentrate on long-term strategic solutions to conflicts and crises in 3 ways: research and analysis to identify issues in countries we operate in, providing humanitarian aid through emergency & crisis services, distributing supplies locals need, and capacity building by establishing long-term sustainable solutions.
We are an apolitical organization and do not intervene or involve ourselves with any political entities or organizations.
Purpose: The weekly report aims to bring awareness to critical issues throughout the Middle East and Africa while identifying ways to address these concerns. We use these reports to identify future projects and strategic solutions for the problems raised. The weekly report is meant to be clear, concise, and inform readers while simultaneously providing unbiased perspectives and insights by addressing every issue pragmatically and holistically.
Projects: Currently, GC2S2 is developing two main projects focused on Syria and Lebanon. The Syria aid basket project is designed to provide 3,100 refugees with a monthly supply of essential food and hygiene kits. The Lebanon project is designed around digital literacy and English courses to alleviate rural Lebanon’s lack of educational access.
The Humanitarian Crisis
Yemen has endured twelve major conflicts since its founding in 1990. Many key infrastructure and institutions have never been built or rebuilt due to the frequency and intensity of these conflicts over the last three decades. This issue has been compounded by the ongoing civil war that began in 2014, creating “the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century.” Currently, 21.6 million Yemenis are in need of humanitarian assistance, with 17.3 million people suffering from acute food insecurity. More than 500,000 Yemenis have died since 2014, with 60% of all deaths estimated to be a direct result of the humanitarian crisis. Many of the victims of the crisis are children, with one dying every 10 minutes. The crisis has only been exacerbated by the lack of access to safe and potable water.
Yemen is the 14th most arid country on earth, containing zero sizable river or lake systems, and receiving an average of only 1.67 inches of precipitation annually. The nation’s freshwater resources are estimated to equal 86 cubic meters per capita, well below the 500 cubic meter benchmark established by the U.N. to define “absolute” water scarcity. Additionally, constant instability has made the development and operation of large-scale saltwater desalination plants nearly impossible. Currently, Yemen possesses three saltwater desalination plants. However, water infrastructure has been regularly targeted throughout the ongoing civil war, leaving two such plants permanently damaged and inoperable.
It is estimated that water distribution infrastructure reaches less than 30% of the entire population. Many Yemenis rely on trucking services for safe and potable water, especially in the more rural regions. However, trucking services are expensive, causing many to rely on the use of unsafe water in order to afford other necessities. As a result, between 2016 and now, more than 2.5 million Yemenis have contracted cholera, resulting in nearly 5,000 deaths and further stressing the nation’s already brittle health sector. It is considered the largest waterborne disease outbreak in the last century.
Yemen’s agricultural sector consistently consumes 91% of the nation’s natural freshwater, using these resources nearly twice as fast as they can be replenished. Because of this, farmers often rely on untreated wastewater from nearby villages as a substitute, furthering the spread of waterborne diseases. The exorbitant use of water by the agricultural sector is a two-pronged issue; the growth of khat, and inefficient water management. Khat is a semi-narcotic plant that requires more than 40% of the nation’s freshwater resources to grow. It is a highly addictive cash crop and the money made from producing and selling it affords families the means of purchasing both food and potable water. Secondly, many farmers utilize inefficient water management methods such as flood or furrow irrigation, resulting in only 20% of water being actually absorbed by crops. These antiquated irrigation methods further soil erosion, cause freshwater contamination, and further the spread of waterborne diseases.
Solutions
Yemen’s humanitarian crisis cannot be adequately addressed by the international community until the nation’s ongoing conflict is brought to an end. Providing immediate access to safe and potable water and introducing new irrigation methods will allow GC2S2 to significantly mitigate the plight of the Yemeni people.
Currently, many ineffective “solutions” are being carried out in Yemen, wasting time and resources that could be better allocated elsewhere. Educational courses for Yemeni farmers regarding the benefits of growing other drought-resistant and nutritional crops instead of khat have been unsuccessful due to khat being much more lucrative. Additionally, newly constructed saltwater desalination plants are continually targeted and rendered inoperable by ongoing military operations. Lastly, the arid climate of Yemen renders the construction of rainwater collection systems insufficient.
GC2S2’s short-term plan is to increase rapid access to safe and potable water via the provision of water purification tablets, filters, and other purification systems. 100 water purification tablets that provide 47 liters of safe and potable water can be purchased for $13.50. A water filter straw that can provide 4,000 liters, or one year’s worth, of potable water for an individual costs only $17.50. It would cost approximately $40,000 to provide a year’s worth of potable water for a village of 2,000 people.
Furthermore, GC2S2 can promote safe and sustainable water usage practices throughout the agricultural sector by constructing simple drip irrigation systems. These systems can reduce water consumption by up to 60% compared to furrow irrigation, and also increase crop yield by up to 90%. The introduction of more efficient irrigation methods would also reduce the transmission of waterborne diseases. GC2S2 can also hold workshops for Yemeni farmers so that they are aware of the benefits of implementing drip irrigation systems, how to properly utilize them, and the dangers of using untreated wastewater. Solving Yemen’s current water issue is the fundamental first step in stabilizing the ongoing conflict and subsequent humanitarian crisis.
Bibliography
Additional Humanitarian Assistance for the People of Yemen – United …, www.state.gov/additional-humanitarian-assistance-for-the-people-of-yemen/. Accessed 17 June 2023.
Agriculture and Yemen’s Economy – Carnegie Endowment carnegieendowment.org/sada/89763. Accessed 17 June 2023.
“Average Precipitation in Depth (Mm per Year).” World Bank Open Data, data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.PRCP.MM?most_recent_value_desc=true. Accessed 17 June 2023.
“Being the Change in Yemen: Improving Integrated Water Resources Management for Food Security in Yemen.” United Nations, yemen.un.org/en/224345-being-change-yemen-improving-integrated-water-resources-management-food-security. Accessed 17 June 2023.
“Climate Stories: Yemen Rainwater.” World Bank, 26 Aug. 2022, www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2022/08/23/rainwater-harvesting-in-yemen-a-durable-solution-for-water-scarcity. Accessed 17 June 2023
Chu, Jennifer. “Watering the World.” MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology, news.mit.edu/2017/design-cuts-costs-energy-drip-irrigation-0420#:~:text=Drip%20irrigation%20can%20reduce%20a,compared%20with%20conventional%20irrigation%20methods. Accessed 19 June 2023.
International Committee of the Red Cross. “The Water Situation in Yemen.” International Committee of the Red Cross, 8 June 2022, www.icrc.org/en/document/water-situation-yemen. Accessed 17 June 2023
“Yemen Refugee Crisis: Aid, Statistics and News: USA FOR UNHCR.” USA for UNHCR. The Un Refugee Agency, www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/yemen/. Accessed 17 June 2023.