People in Yemen have been plunged into darkness, literally, over the past three years of war, according to satellite images obtained by aid organisation CARE.
The analysis of satellite images by Professor Xi Li and Professor Deren Li of China’s Wuhan University shows Yemen’s cities have lost more than half of their already meagre electricity supply since 2014.
Twelve of Yemen’s 21 provinces have lost more than 70 per cent of their light since the war began, with some losing as much as 95 per cent.
CARE Yemen’s Assistant Country Director Jolien Veldwijk said the dwindling availability of electricity was compounding the difficulties Yemeni civilians were facing every day.
“The war in Yemen has quite literally turned off the light for most people. It shows how much the infrastructure and economy have been damaged and what a struggle it is for the people of Yemen to survive,” she said.
Since the conflict escalated in 2015, nearly 10,000 Yemenis have died and more than 52,000 have been injured. In total, more than 22.2 million Yemenis are in need of humanitarian assistance, more than half of whom – 11.3 million – are children.
“As we enter the fourth year of war in Yemen, we call on all parties to the conflict and the international community to end the suffering of Yemenis, and to work towards lasting peace that brings prosperity to the whole country,” Ms Veldwijk said.
“Peace is the only solution. Without peace, Yemen will endure another year of starvation and devastation.”
The ongoing violence has made humanitarian access to those most in need extremely challenging, and CARE continues to call on all parties to prioritise the access and delivery of lifesaving supplies to the affected people in Yemen.
CARE Australia is an international humanitarian aid organisation fighting poverty, with a special focus on working with women and girls. CARE has been working in Yemen since 1992, and is currently providing lifesaving food, water and medical supplies to those in need. www.care.org.au/yemen
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View the images and accompanying report here. To arrange interviews with staff in Yemen, please contact CARE Australia Media Advisor Stephanie Juleff on 0412 449 691.
