Letter on behalf of the Humanitarian Coordinator, Johannes van der Klaauw

Received on 29 May 2015, in response to the letter: Scholars and Academics of Southern Arabia (Aden)

Dear Dr AbdulNasser Ahmed Alwali and Ms. Fetema Saeed Alimodi
Thank you for your letter on behalf of the Scholars and Academics from Southern Arabia (Aden) dated 21 May 2015. As you rightly point out, the humanitarian situation in Yemen, including the southern governorates such as Aden, Lahj, Abyan and Al Dhale'e, is of grave concern. People have limited access to basic services, including healthcare, water and sanitation, education and protection. There is a widespread lack of fuel and electricity, people's livelihoods have collapsed and many have fled the violence and and now face an uncertain future.
The United Nations and its partners are mobilizing all efforts and available resources to scale up the humanitarian response in line with established humanitarian principles, including the impartiality of assistance; in other words, providing relief on the basis of need alone without discrimination. Despite complex challenges related to the scale of needs and the difficult operational security environment, we are working closely with parties to the conflict to facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of relief supplies and personnel to people in need. We are also consistently calling on the parties to the conflict to comply with International Humanitarian Law obligations to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
In Yemen, the United Nations is working closely with a number of implementing partners and is seeking to provide assistance to those in need in the whole of Yemen. Whilst coordinating closely with the authorities across the country, I can assure you that assistance is based on humanitarian needs identified by the United Nations throughout the country in an impartial manner, and entrusted to implementing partners identified on the basis of their expertise and qualifications as well as their abidance with established humanitarian principles of impartiality, neutrality and operational independence.
My team and I are available to further discuss any further concerns you may have regarding the humanitarian response in Yemen.
Yours sincerely,
Johannes Van der Klaauw

HMPCA Needs Assessment (5/27/2015): Drugs for chronic conditions

List #1

List #2

List #3

List #4: Chemotherapeutic drugs for National Oncology Center-Aden 

اليوم الثامن والخمسون للحرب

اليوم الثامن والخمسون للحرب
الظروف صعبة والمعاناة كبيرة جدا جدا وأهلنا في كل مكان يعانون من اهوال هذه الحرب اللعينة ولازال الناس يشكون الحاجة 
لقد زرنا اماكن كثيرة جدا وبالذات في محافظة عدن ومنها البريقا,المنصورة ,دار سعد,الممدارة وأماكن النزوح في المدارس والنازحين الى اقاربهم (الاسر المستضيفه) والفنادق وبعض المرافق الحكومية فوجدنا فيها كثير من الاسر وهي لا تمتلك ابسط المقومات العيش الامن كما لدى هذه الاسر كبار السن والأطفال وذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة ,والنساء وكلنا نعرف ان هذه الفيئات لها احتياجات كثيرة غير المأكل والمشرب .
من المسؤل عن تلبية هذه الاحتياجات
تعتبر الدولة وفقا لقانون الانساني هي امسؤلة عن النازحين وتوفير احتاجاتهم وتقديم لهم الدعم المادي والعيني والنفسي وفي حالة عجز الدولة عنها فان المنظمات الدولية تقوم مقامها وغقا للقانون الانساني بعد ان تقدم طلب مساعدة وهذا ما تم فعله الا انه حتى الان لم تظطلع جميع المنظمات بدورها الانساني وعند السوال لماذ يردون الجانب الامني وهو الذي يعيق عملهم؟؟؟؟؟
الاخوة الاعزاء
السادة في المنظمات الدولية
السادة في اللجان الاغاثية
السادة التجار اصحاب الايادي البيضاء
ان الوضع الانساني الذي تعيشه محافظات عدن ابين ولحج هو وضع مأساوي بكل ما تعنيه الكلمة وهناك جهود لا ننكرها ولكنها لا ترتقي وحجم المصيبة و تحتاج الى بعض من التنظيم حتى تصل كل المحتاجين فالمتتبع لما تم صرفه حتى الان لا يوفي بالحد الادنى من الاحتياج لبقاء على قيد الحياة ونظرا الى حجم المشكلة وزيادة عدد الاسر النازحة وغياب الدولة في الاخذ بزمام الامور وإغاثة ابنائها فان الوضع لا زال متأزم وخطير جدا كما قلنا في نداتنا السابقة.
للأسف نسمع التصريحات هنا وهناك من الوزراء العائشين في القصور والفنادق هم وأسرهم وياكلون من ما لذا وطاب وأبناء شعبهم يتضورون جوعا فلا بارك الله فيهم.
الوضع الصحي 
ان الوضع الصحي ايضا كارثي جدا حيث اكتضت الشوارع بالمخلفات وكثر الذباب والبعوض واتفجرت المجاري في الشوارع وانتشرت الامراض تفتك في الناس ولايزال دور الدولة مغيب تقريبا بالكامل في هذا الشأن الا من مجهودات بعض الاخوة.
تحملت اللجنة الشعبية الطبية مسئولية القيام بمهام الدولة ولا تزال تحاول مشكورة رغم محدودية الدعم وقد بدء بالعد التنازلي
مأوي النازحين IDPs shelters 
ان ملاجئ النازحين تفتقر لأبسط المقومات مثل الما الصالح لشرب والحمامات والمجاري الا من ماتقوم به الهجرة الدولية مشكورة ولكن الاحتياج اكبر بكثير ولا تزال بعض المديريات والمدارس في عدن وابين لحج بحاجة لأبسط مقومات العيش.
الزيارة الطبية Health visit
حسبما وصل لمسامعنا من ان WHO تقوم بالزيارة الميدانية ولكن لا توجد لدينا ارقام ولا الاماكن المستهدفه وسوف نتواصل معهم لمعرفة ما تم عمله ومدى الاستمرارية ودورها في المحافظات المجاورة
محافظة لحج
لا تزال محافظة لحج تعاني من مشكلة النزوح منها واليها وقد بلغن نسبة النزوح من بعض المناطق من 90 الى 85% ولايزال مستمر ووضعها حرج جدا للغايه
محافظة الضالع
تعاني محافظة الضالع كمحافظة تماس من مشاكل كبيرة جدا وهي من اقدم المحافظات في المعاناة وقد بلغ النزوح فيها الى اعلى درجاته ولا يزال حتى اللحظة وتعتبر محافظة الضالع وبالذات الضالع منطقة منكوبة وتحتاج الى تدخل سريع لمساعدة اهلها حيث تفتقر لأبسط مقومات الحياة ولا تزال تعاني حتى يومنا هذا والالتفات نحوها محدود الا من القبائل المجاوره وعليه فأننا نناشد كل الخيرين للتدخل للمساعدة العزل والنساء والأطفال والشيوخ وذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة
محافظة ابين
تعتبر محافظة ابين منطقة تماس وقد حصل نزوح الى مدن زنجبار وخنفر في البداية ونبهنا في وقته وعملنا مع منظمة شباب ابين لتنبيه المجتمع المحلي والدولي بهذه الكارثة ثم تواصلت الامور سوا بازدياد حدة المعارك ونزوح سكان مديرية لودر والقرى المجاوره لها الى مديريات موديه ومكيراس وغيرها ولا يزال وضع النازحين في هذه المناطق في اتعس حال نتيجة النقص الحاد في جميع المواد الاساسية وقلة الدعم بحيث لم يصل الى هذه المديرية اي دعم سو بعض المواد الطبية ولا نزال نكرر ندائتنا الى جميع ال الخير وأصحاب الايادي البيضاء ان يمدون الدعم لإخوانهم كما اننا نطالب من المنظمات الدولية التدخل العاجل في هذه المناطق ومساعدة النازحين والمستضيفين حيث ان المصيبة قد عمت كل الناس 
الاخوة جميعا
لقد تقدمنا اكثر من مرة الى كل الجهات ولكن حتى الان لم نحصل على رد او اجابة نشكر كلا من 
الاخت غادة ميسري مسئولة الاوتشاء على تجاوبها معنا الدائم وتوصيل همومنا الى المنظمات الدولية
شكر للاخوة في منظمة SHS التكافل الانساني على مساعدتها لبعض النازحين وغير النازحين كما نرجو منهم الايفا بوعدهم في توزيع المواد الغذائية على كل المواطنين وفي اسرع وقت لكون الاحتياج قد عظم وزاد 
نشكر الاخوة في الاغاثة الاسلامية على جهودهم في توزيع المواد الغذائية وبسلة تحتوي على الكمية والنوعية الجيدة 
شكر للأخت سلمى في الهجرة الدولية على جهودهم في المدارس من اجل توفير المياه الصحية
شكر للاخوة في في شبكة عدن معا نحميها على جهودهم لمساعدة النازحين
شكر للدكتور عبدالناصر الوالي رئيس اللجنة الطبية الشعبية العلياء على جهوده من اجل الاستقرار الدوائي والشكر موصول لكل الداعمين
شكر للإخوة في منظمة شباب ابين على جهودها الرائعة في دعم النازحين من لحج الى ابين 
شكر لكل من ساعدنا في ايصال الادوية اوالمواد الائيواية او الغذائيه ولا نزال نطالبهم بتادية واجبهم وجزاهم الله الف خير
شكرا
عبدالله محمد الدحيمي
مدير الوحدة التنفيذية لإدارة مخيمات النازحين
عدن لحج

Communications with Physicians Across Continents (PAC)

Sent: May 26, 2015

Physicians Across Continents (PAC),

We have been in contact with the Dr. Abdulnasser Alwali (+967733791544), who is the Chairman of the Higher Medical Public Committee in Aden (HMPCA), the South of Yemen regional appointed health authority: Aden, Lahij, Al Dhale'e, Abyan, Shabwah, Hadramaut, and Al Mahara governorates. He has informed us that there are 366 patients in Aden with severe injuries that need urgent medical evacuation (see PDF file #4). Recently, with the help of your team who are on the ground in Aden, HMPCA was able to safely evacuate 27 critically wounded patients across sea to Djibouti. However, they still desperately need your assistance for those remaining patients.

Furthermore, they continue to report a severe shortage in essential medicine and supplies in a number of overwhelmed health facilities. And I have attached their most recent needs assessment report for you to review as well (see PDF files #1, 2, and 3).

Therefore, please circulate this information to your regional representatives as well as your partners. More importantly, we hope that you will collaborate with HMPCA in order to ensure the most timely and effective relief effort in that region. And there is a Facebook Page where you can find health related updates and information from HMPCA: www.facebook.com/hmpcaden

Thank you for your time and we appreciate all your support.

Yours Respectfully,
Omran Alsalahi
M.D. candidate at Eastern Virginia Medical School
M.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Graduate Certificate in Global Medicine
330.221.0063
Alsalaoh@evms.edu

Communications with Red Cross (ICRC)

Letter sent to ICRC regarding their team efforts in Aden

Sent: May 19, 2015 

Schweizer Cedric,
We are writing to inform you that we have recently received a report from Dr. AbdulNasser Alwali (+967733791544), who is the Chairman of the Higher Medical Public Committee in Aden (HMPCA), detailing his experience with the ICRC team in Aden (attached their names and numbers on this email). And we are concerned!

I have translated his message (received May 16, 2015; via “WhatsApp”), which describes his recent encounter with the team at May 22nd Hospital (for the original message in Arabic see below):

"Yesterday, I had a meeting with the Red Cross. We agreed for them to work in a building complex that belongs to the May 22nd Hospital (located behind), but only after difficult terms: to clear a group of post-operative patients who were placed there (sleeping on the ground in the complex) because the hospital is currently overwhelmed; to equip a fully operational surgical room (If we could we would have already used the room ourselves in these difficult times); to link the hospital's main electrical generator to the rooms; and the provision of thirty beds
Despite the provocation in these conditions we agreed that we will try as much as we can; however, we proposed for them to also procure anything they need from the Al-Jumhooria Hospital (Khormakser district), which they were working in and is now closed and under the control of the Houthi militias–they said they will look into it.
Another condition was to work with the same team that they had worked with in Al-Jumhooria , prior to its closure!!! Our response, was that we will provide any specialized team of their choosing from May 22nd hospital, however, the previous team (from the Al-Jumhooria hospital) have relocated to work in the Saddyka Hospital (Unity Hospital; Sheikh Othman district).
Lastly, they decided to give the new team who will work with them, a salary of 30-70 dollars per day. Considering that we pay some of our crew 5-10 dollars per day, we asked if they could reduce their salary payments, to even out our staffs incentives to work and prevent the disruption of workflow, which already is barely stable. They were shocked to hear the amount that we pay, requesting that we should raise the salaries our staff. Now, we are a public committee that started fifty-days ago and we are yet to receive any financial support both regionally and internationally. We have been functioning simply from the support we receive internally, that is public donations which have been directed solely for purchasing essential medicine/supplies and to keep the hospitals and clinics operational. Therefore, we don't have the financial means to raise the salaries of our staff. Ultimately, we leave it for them to decide. We have offered everything we have to offer, including but not limited to: a medical staff, a health facility with the needed medical equipments to work; more importantly, everything within our hands are at their disposal for the desperately needed assistance.”

Furthermore, last month (April 19th) we were informed by  Dr. Alwai that the Red Cross were being pressured by the Houthi militias into not delivering any relief to the public health facilities in Aden. Now we are not sure what is going on the ground there, however, we would like you to investigate this as soon as possible.

Moreover, we suggest that you get in direct contact with Dr. Alwali to discuss his full concerns because the message that we are getting from these report is that they are intentionally avoiding to provide any relief to the health facilities in Aden. Again, for whatever reason this maybe, we will wait for your investigation before making any assumptions.

And this is the link to the committee Facebook page which post updates on the health situation from the perspective of the local health officials there: https://www.facebook.com/hmpcaden

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours Respectfully,
Omran Alsalahi
M.D. candidate at Eastern Virginia Medical School
M.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Graduate Certificate in Global Medicine

Received: May 24, 2015

Dear Dr Al-Salahi,

First of all, I would like to thank you for you email of 19.05 alerting the ICRC on report received from Dr. Abdul-Nasser Al-Wali in Aden.

My name is Antoine Grand I have replace Cedric Schweizer as Head of Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Yemen 2 weeks ago.

We were equally concerned by the report Dr Al-Wali describing his discussions with the ICRC team in Aden, especially as we have always maintained fruitful relationships with him, especially since the beginning of the current crisis.

As you may know, the ICRC was working in Al-Jumorhia hospital during the month of April until we were forced to evacuate due to the dramatic deterioration of the security situation in the area. The ICRC has however not left Aden. On the contrary, our teams have continued work around the clock to address the urgent needs of the population, not only in the field of health, but also in terms of water, food and protection.

In addition to its regular emergency medical support to hospitals and clinics in and around Aden, the ICRC has recently identified a Primary Health Centre in Al-Mansura district, next to 22 May Hospital, where we could re-deploy our surgical team. It is with this objective in mind that the ICRC has been seeking advise from all key stakeholders in Aden, including Dr Al-Wali. The meeting referred in your message was chaired by Dr. Al-Wali himself who has accepted and supported ICRC proposal for this new project.

Yesterday, our colleagues in Aden have met again with Dr. Al-Wali in order to discuss his concern and clarify any possible misunderstanding. Dr Al-Wali told us that his report was not meant to criticise or discredit ICRC work in Aden, but to stress the dire situation faced by the Health authorities in Aden who feel increasingly challenged in their capacity to meet the basic health needs of the population. He expressed appreciation about ICRC willingness to help and support the Health authorities in their daunting tasks, but also stressed the urgent need to receive more support from abroad.

The ICRC, present on the ground, is acutely aware of the enormous humanitarian needs in Aden and in Yemen in general, and the gap between the humanitarian response and those needs. The ICRC is doing its best to respond to those needs, in very difficult circumstances. In doing, close coordination with local health authorities is of utmost importance and the ICRC will continue to engage actively with them, including of course Dr Al-Wali, who has always been supportive of our work.

It is also important for us to be able to correct and clarify, bilaterally, any misperception or misunderstanding that may arise from our presence and activities in Aden. I am therefore grateful that you have brought this issue to my attention. Please, do not hesitate to continue doing so in the future.

Thanking you for you support,

Your sincerely,
Antoine Grand

Head of Delegation
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Sana’a - Yemen

Sent: May 25, 2015

Antoine Grand,

Dr. Alwali has informed me that one of your team representatives had met with him and they had a very positive meeting (his original message is below). Therefore, thank you for promptly investigating any grievances.

We truly appreciate your continuous support for the Yemeni people.

Kind regards,
Omran

Communications with International Medical Corps (IMC)

Sent: May 23, 2015

Chris Skopec,

We have been reading your reports on ReliefWeb and have noted that your team has been delivering medicine and supplies to a number of facilities in the southern and eastern Governorates of Yemen, notably: Aden, Abyan, Lahj, Al Dhale’e, and Shabwah.

Now, we have been in contact with the Dr. Abdulnasser Alwali (+967733791544), who is the Chairman of the Higher Medical Public Committee in Aden (HMPCA)–the regional appointed health authority–and he has informed us that humanitarian actors have not been coordinating with them to ensure that critical gaps in response and unmet needs are identified.

That being said, they continue to report a severe shortage in essential medicine and supplies in a number of overwhelmed health facilities.  And I have attached their needs assessment, which details what is urgently needed for you to review (see PDF files #1, 2, and 3).

Furthermore, on May 11th, with the help of Physicians Across Continents, HMPCA was able to safely transfer 30 critically wounded patients across sea to Djibouti. However, there still remains approximately 366 patients with severe injuries that still need to be evacuated (see PDF file #4).

Therefore, please circulate this information to your partners and we hope that you will collaborate with HMPCA in order to ensure that aid will be effectively and timely delivered to all active health faciliities in that region. And there is a Facebook Page where you can find health related updates and information from HMPCA: www.facebook.com/hmpcaden.

Thank you for your time.

Yours Respectfully,
HMPCA

Received: May 24, 2015

"Dear HMPCA,

Thank you for your email and for the attention and support you’re providing to the people of Yemen.  Indeed Aden has been one of the most challenging places for International Medical Corps and others to work over the past two months.  Our team in Aden has been to a number of coordination meetings organized by Dr. Abdulnasr, and works closely with the GHO-Lahj, Al-Dalee, and the medical director for 22 May Hospital, in addition to coordination with ICRC, Unicef, and MSF.

At this time, our assistance is limited to the provision and distribution of medical supplies and drugs as well as water delivery, and we do not have the capacity to handle the medical evacuation of severe cases to Djibouti.  We certainly recognize the critical need here and have heard the request directly from Dr. Abdulnasr and the HMPC-Aden on this urgent issue.  We are actively trying to develop better and more frequent means of accessing the most affected areas of the country and are advocating to the international community for the necessity of creating better conditions for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

We will be certain to follow up again with Dr. Abdulnasr to ensure that our activities are transparent and effectively coordinated, and that our current capacities in terms of what we can and cannot provide are understood.

Please note my contact numbers below, I’m happy to discuss by phone if you have any additional questions.  Again, thank you for your attention to our activities and your commitment to assisting the people of Yemen in this time of great need.

Kind Regards,
Chris Skopec
Senior Director, Emergency Preparedness and Response
International Medical Corps"

Sent: May 25, 2015

Chris Skopec,

Thank you for meeting with Dr. Abdulnasser. We would just like for all agencies to coordinate the relief relief efforts in the south, especially in regards to distribution of medical supplies, with HMPC-Aden. We hope that by doing so, they will facilitate any efforts to overcome the numerous access constraints, which has been more so in South of Yemen.

In terms of medical evacuation I will contact Physicians Across Continents (PAC) and see if they can continue this process. However, if you know any partners who you feel may help, please inform them of this urgent issue.

Thank you for kindly replying and for all your support.

Best Regards,
HMPCA

Letter to UNICEF following their shipment of aid to Aden on May 23, 2015

Sent: May 23, 2015

UNICEF Yemen team,

We have been in contact with the Dr. Abdulnasser Alwali (+967733791544), who is the Chairman of the Higher Medical Public Committee in Aden (HMPCA), which currently has oversight on a number of critical health facilities in the southern and eastern Governorates: Aden, Abyan, Lahj, Al Dhale’e, Shabwah, Hadramaut and Al Maharah. He has been informing us that humanitarian actors have not been coordinating with them to ensure that critical gaps in response and unmet needs are identified.

That being said, they continue to report a severe shortage in essential medicine and supplies in a number of overwhelmed facilities. And I have attached their needs assessment report, which details what is urgently needed for you to review(see PDF files #1, 2, and 3).

And we have just noted on your Twitter page (@UNICEFYemen) that medical supplies have just arrived in Aden. Therefore, please circulate this information to your partners and representative who are on the ground. And we hope that they will collaborate with HMPCA in order to ensure that the aid will be effectively and timely delivered to all active health facilities there.

Lastly, on May 11th, with the help of Physicians Across Continents (PAC), HMPCA was able to safely transfer 27 critically wounded patients across sea to Djibouti. However, there still remains approximately 366 patients with severe injuries that still need to be evacuated (see PDF file #4). Though we are not sure if this information is relevant to your department, we figured that we should also inform you of this as well.

There is a Facebook Page for HMPCA where you can find health related updates from them, as well as, information about the authority itself: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Higher-Medical-Public-Committee-in-Yemen-Aden/1557089484577922

Thank you for supporting the Yemeni people.

Yours Respectfully,

_____________________________

Omran Alsalahi

M.D. candidate at Eastern Virginia Medical School

M.S. in Biomedical Sciences

Graduate Certificate in Global Medicine

Letter to WHO Health Cluster in Yemen

Sent: May 23rd, 2015

Dr. Iman Ahmed, Yesterday, the director of the May 22nd hospital (Aden) notified the Higher Medical Public Committee in Aden (HMPCA) that one of the WHO officers was able to visit them and deliver 6 cartons of Ringer's Solution as well as 2 Dressing kits. I requested for Dr. AbdulNasser Alwali (+967733791544) to have his team send me their needs assessment reports, that is a detailed listing of what they urgently needed, and I have attached them for you to review (see PDF files #1, 2, and 3). Secondly, there are approximately 366 patients with severe injuries that need to be transferred elsewhere for treatment (see PDF file #4). On May 11th, with the help of PAC (Physicians Across Continents), HMPCA were able to safely transfer 30 critically wounded patients across sea to Djibouti. Therefore, a similar transport process facilitated by PAC or any other agency is still needed for those remaining patients. Lastly, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) team in Aden continue to avoid supporting the health facilities in Aden. On May 19th, I contacted the ICRC delegation (Sana'a Yemen) regarding this issue; however, I have not received any response from them and the team continues to avoid the local health authorities there. Therefore, it is my sincere hope that you will look into this matter because their support is greatly needed at this time. Once again, thank you for all your help and if there is anything that you need please let me know. Thank you for your time. __________________________ Omran Alsalahi M.D. candidate at Eastern Virginia Medical School M.S. in Biomedical Sciences Graduate Certificate in Global Medicine

5/22/15, 10:59:35 AM: د. عبد الناصر الوالي: دكتورنا العزيز منظمه الصحه العالميه جزاها الله خير اعطتنا سته كراتين محلول رينجر و2دريسنج كت ونحن نشكرهم ونرجو تعزيز دعمهم
5/22/15, 10:59:35 AM: د. عبد الناصر الوالي: عبر الدكتور كليس
5/22/15, 11:00:21 AM: د. عبد الناصر الوالي: هذه رسالتين من نائب مدير مستشفى ٢٢ مايو عدن
5/22/15, 4:18:02 AM: Omran Alsalahi: And are the Red Cross team working in May 22 Hospital?
5/22/15, 5:47:41 AM: د. عبد الناصر الوالي: لا الصليب الأحمر لايعمل ولا باي مكان
(translation: No the Red Cross does not work anywhere)

Local health authority in Aden needs medicine and supplies!

April 19, 2015

Dr. Ahmed Shadoul,

I am a member of the Southern Yemen-American Forum (New York) and I am writing to inform you that the public hospitals in Aden are currently struggling to cope with the influx of wounded because they are facing a long-standing severe shortage in medicine and supplies.

We have been in contact with Dr. AbdulNasser A. Alwali (967 73 379 1544), who has recently been appointed as Chairman of the Medical Committee in Aden, and he describes the health situation in Basheeb Military Hospital, Al Joumhourah Teaching Hospital, Al Sadyakka Hospital  and May 22 Hospital as catastrophic. They are currently overwhelmed with patients, which have far exceeded their capacity since the beginning of this crisis. They are under staffed, as the danger from indiscriminate snipers have restricted the staff’s ability to safely reach the hospitals from their homes. More disconcerting, there has been no officials from the Ministry of Public Health or non-governmental organization to assess their current situation and provide them the needed relief.

From the onset of the crisis in Yemen (March 19th) up to the date of writing this letter, approximately 158.6 and 1.7 tons of essential medicine and supplies has been delivered to Sana’a and Aden, respectively. However, according to the report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (15 Apr 2015), part of the 92 ton UNICEF shipment, which was airlifted to Sana’a on April 10th and April 14th, are intended for Aden "although access by road and sea is currently extremely difficult.” And this is a problem because the portal city  is currently entrapping 1 million victims at the center of the worst fighting. Furthermore, we have been sent a report, which I have attached, stating that they have been allocating their quickly depleting supplies to locations that span throughout the southern region of Yemen, as they are also facing severe shortages.

It is our sincere hope that you will look into this matter and if there is anything that you would like us to do, we are more then prepared to help.

Humanitarian Pause (#1): OCHA Situation Report No. 2 (14 May 2015)

" clashes continued to be reported in some locations – mainly in the south, challenging aid delivery efforts...In Aden, partners could not access a warehouse containing health supplies yesterday due to insecurity."

OCHA-Situation Report No. 2 (Yemen: Humanitarian Pause)

HMPC Flash Update (May 23, 2015) : Dengue fever & malaria possible source of outbreak

This tractor/Bulldozer is removing trash from an area that has been causing a pattern of disease outbreak in the area, particularly Dengue fever and malaria.

Dr. AbdulNasser Alwali

Chairman of HMPCA

+967733791544

Al_waly44@hotmail.com

(Reported in English by Omran Alsalahi)

رفع مخلافات من الشوارع وهيا كانت سبب رئيسي في انتشار الامراض

Patients with serious Post Gunshot wounds who need Medical Evacuation from Hospitals in Aden

On May 11th, with the help of Physicians Across Continents (PAC), HMPCA was able to safely transfer 30 critically wounded patients across sea to Djibouti. However, there still remains approximately 366 patients with severe gunshot wounds that still need medical evacuation from Aden’s major hospitals, as of May 22nd, 2015.

HMPCA Needs Assessment (May 22, 2015): Medicine and supplies needed for Emergency, Surgical, and ICU rooms

Emergency Care

HMPCA Flash Update (5/22/15): ICRC team in Aden continue to avoid supporting the health facilities there.

5/22/15, 5:47:41 AM: د. عبد الناصر الوالي: لا الصليب الأحمر لايعمل ولا باي مكان

(translation by Omran Alsalahi: No the Red Cross does not work anywhere)

5/22/15, 4:18:02 AM: Omran Alsalahi: And are the Red Cross team working in May 22nd Hospital?

A letter from the Scholars and Academics of Southern Arabia (Aden)

May 21, 2015

We are writing on behalf of the women, children, elderly, the sick and the wounded in the southern Yemeni governorates–Aden, Lahij, Abyan, Al Dahle and Shabwah–who have been under siege and isolated from the humanitarian relief efforts in Yemen. We have been facing a longstanding severe shortage in food, medicines and supplies, which as of today, have not been relieved by the agencies in Sana’a. Therefore, we request for our humanitarian aid to be delivered directly to the appointed authorities in that region, as they will be more accountable to the interests and needs of their beneficiaries.

We appreciate your humanitarian efforts for the southern Yemenis, but we are surprised that you continue to insist on delivering the majority of our apportioned aid to authorities who are not local to those regions. Your logistics continues to center Sana’a as the relief gateway for all regions in Yemen, a “ rigidity of habit” which has resulted in unanticipated consequences–particularly a humanitarian disaster in the south.

To the authorities in Sana’a, we are second class citizens. For three decades now, we have been oppressed, suppressed, repressed and depressed– politically, economically and socially. For us, this conflict has just been the latest in a string of tragedies, an acute-on-chronic crisis: a catastrophe amid histories of widespread poverty, predatory government, and underdeveloped health infrastructure. Yet, aid agencies continue to entrust our desperately needed relief to an institution, which has never been accountable to the citizens of the region that was once a country of its own–South Yemen.

Though we have managed to survive a history of "structural violence," we have reached a point where we will not survive if Sana’a continues to be entrusted with our relief. We are living in a critical time where every hour counts: infants have died while waiting for a bottle of milk; pregnant mothers who are not able to be transported to health facilities have died while we wait for fuel; and the wounded as well as the chronically ill are dying as we wait for medicine and supplies to be delivered.

Therefore, we request for all international aid agencies who are operating in Yemen to contact the health and logistics authority who are local to that region and wish to lead the humanitarian efforts there:

Dr. AbdulNasser Ahmed Alwali
Chairman of the Higher Medical Committee in Aden 
+967733791544
al_waly44@hotmail.com

Fatema Saeed Alimodi
Public Relief Representative
 +967777697254

And our representatives in the United States are also available to help facilitate this process:

Mohamed S. Alsalahi, MD., M.P.H.
Director of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Rochester General Health System at Newark-Wayne Office: 315-359-2178
Cell: 440-773-7690
AlsalahiMD@me.com

Omran Alsalahi
MD Candidate at Eastern Virginia Medical School M.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Graduate Certificate in Global Medicine
Cell: 330-221-0063
alsalaoh@evms.edu

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours Respectfully,
The Scholars and Academics from Southern Arabia (Aden)

This letter was sent to:

• Johannes Van Der Klaau, Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen (UNOCH)*
• Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General 
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), HeadQuarters in Geneva
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
• United State Agency for International Development (USAID)
• MSF (Doctors Without Borders)
• United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Amnesty International
• Aljazeera Media Network
• The Obama Administration

* See response: http://www.hmpca.com/2015/05/letter-to-dr-abdulnasser.html

Twitter Response from ICRC

Robert Mardini is the Regional Director for the Middle East at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).