Doha: With support from Qatar, Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) has begun an urgent humanitarian intervention to help Yemeni refugees arriving in Djibouti, fleeing armed conflicts in Aden, Lahj, Taiz and other parts of their country.
Yemenis cross the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb using unsafe fishing boats in a too risky voyage across the world’s most crowded waterway. So far, 8,896 people have fled and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) projects the number to hit 30,000 in the coming weeks if the conflict continues.
In response to the humanitarian tragedy, QRC has planned a $1.5m relief shelter and healthcare programme for the refugees in Djibouti, which has poor health facilities to face the increasing numbers of injured Yemenis arriving in Djibouti which already hosts about 4,500.
To deal with the gap between the capacity of Aden hospitals (1,300 beds) and the needed capacity (3,200), QRC resorted to moving inured Yemenis for treatment to Djibouti. The first batch of 60 and their families will be admitted to contracted public and private hospitals. A doctor will be sent to Djibouti to perform critical surgeries, if needed.
Accommodating over 1,400 Yemenis, the only refugee camp in Djibouti lacks services. QRC will procure 300 Better Shelter units, which are innovative flat-pack housing units designed by IKEA Housing for All Foundation in cooperation with UNHCR.
Designed for optimal shipping volume and weight, price, safety, durability, health and comfort, the structures come with innovations on earlier refugee housing models to improve the quality of life for inhabitants.
Traditional refugee tents only last about six months, while the new shelters can last three years and are equipped with a solar panel and lamp each to provide light at night. Unlike a sturdy but claustrophobic cargo container shelter, each Better Shelter includes windows, ventilation and a door that locks.
In addition to the ease of transport afforded by their flat-pack form, shelters can be quickly installed, if needed, using only tools and instructions contained in the box. The prototype was tested by refugee families in Iraq and Ethiopia, and this is the first time the unit is to be deployed.
QRC will rehabilitate and operate the camp’s health centre to offer better services for the camp’s inhabitants and the host local community. Local partners are contacted to coordinate supply of medicines and electricity and build a concrete fence for the camp. Last month, QRC established an official mission in Djibouti to supervise activities in coordination with government and nongovernmental institutions. The Peninsula
