Deep Root has published its Yemen Trend report for the month of July. The report focused on three components of the Yemeni crisis. The worsening cholera epidemic, the political turmoil and the ongoing military conflict.
July saw 190,000 new cases of cholera, bringing the total number of cases to 436,000. The scale was such that the World Health Organization (WHO) decided to scrap a plan to send one million cholera vaccines to combat the virus. Though there was a decline in the number of cases reported in July, from 7,000 to 5,000. However the WHO warned that this new trend should be viewed with caution, stating:
This data should be interpreted with caution,” the WHO said, “given a backlog in the analysis of suspected cases. Even if the outbreak is beginning to slow in some areas, thousands are falling sick every day.
This comes as Stephan O’Brien, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief, warned that the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is likely underestimated.
Politically, July saw massive rallies in support of the southern secessionist movement in Aden, a sign of growing support for independence in the south. President Hadi removed Nayef al-Qaisi as governor of al-Baydah governorate. Al-Qaisi was labeled by the US Treasury and the UN Security Council as a senior member of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). He is the fifth governor to be removed three months.
In Taiz, UAE-led security forces captured Khaled Bin Walid, Yemen's largest military camp. The victory allows UAE forces to “block Houthi/Saleh reinforcements from the north... paving the way for an offensive into Hodeidah.” In the north, Houthi-Saleh forces launched multiple ballistic missile attacks into Saudi Arabia, reportedly striking an oil refinery in Yanbu. Saudi Arabia responded, bombing the Houthi stronghold of Sada’a and killing at least 12 civilians.
The Deep Root’s latest report indicates the continued need for a permanent political resolution to the Yemeni conflict. The myriad of economic, political, and humanitarian crises are continuing to worsen and cannot be addressed until the current conflict is brought to an end.