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Begin New Search Political Geography Yemen Content Type Special Report Publishing Institution Feinstein International Center, Tufts University Publication Year within 25 Years

1. Seeing in the Dark: Real-Time Monitoring in Humanitarian Crises

Author:
Daniel Maxwell, Erin Lentz, Kamau Wanjohi, Daniel Molla, Matthew Day, Peter Hailey, Christopher Newton, and Anna Colom
Publication Date:
03-2021
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
Abstract:
Humanitarian information systems typically provide analysis to predict crisis, assess needs, direct program resources, and assess short- to medium-term effects of programs. But much of this information is “chunky”—a single estimate of “needs,” for example, can be expected to direct resources and programming for up to a full year (IASC 2020). A single early warning scenario might be expected to provide information about potential hazards and the exposure of population to the ill-effects of that hazard for three to four months. And almost by definition, early warning analyses are grounded in known and likely hazards, “population in need” (PIN) figures are based on the impacts of known shocks, and program resources are (or should be) allocated on the basis of known and projected PIN figures. There have long been questions about the timeliness of humanitarian information and especially about the extent to which information initiates appropriate and timely actions (Buchanan-Smith and Davies 1995; Bailey 2012; Lentz et al. 2020). And there have always been concerns that circumstances can change in shorter time periods than standard humanitarian analysis procedures can pick up, so interest in real-time monitoring (RTM) as a component of humanitarian information systems has increased for at least the past decade or so (FSNAU 2015).
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Humanitarian Aid, Famine, Food Security, Humanitarian Intervention, Conflict, and Nutrition
Political Geography:
Middle East, Yemen, Somalia, Malawi, South Sudan, and Africa

2. “I could not sleep while they were hungry”: Investigating the role of social networks in Yemen’s humanitarian crisis

Author:
Jeeyon Janet KIm, Alex Humphrey, Maha Elsamahi, Aws Kadasi, and Daniel Maxwell
Publication Date:
04-2021
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
Abstract:
ix years of civil war have left Yemenis in the grip of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 16 million food insecure. While external aid is saving lives in Yemen, it is not necessarily the main source by which Yemenis cope during the ongoing crisis. So how are Yemenis coping? Experts on food security in Yemen, research from other contexts, and Yemenis themselves point to an obvious, but often under-recognized source of support: Households are relying on their social connections and support networks for survival. Mercy Corps is undertaking research to help aid actors better understand how social connections are supporting coping and survival in Yemen. This brief report presents initial findings from a study investigating the role of social networks in Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. It includes insights from interviews conducted with nearly 100 respondents in Taiz, Yemen
Topic:
Food, Hunger, Humanitarian Crisis, and Social Networks
Political Geography:
Yemen and Persian Gulf

3. Famine Early Warning and Information Systems in Conflict Settings: Challenges for Humanitarian Metrics and Response

Author:
Daniel Maxwell
Publication Date:
11-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
Abstract:
Attention to the growing number of people caught in crises characterized by extreme and often protracted levels of food insecurity, malnutrition, and mortality is increasing. The information systems that track these conditions and inform humanitarian decision-making have expanded substantially in the past two decades and in many cases have reached a degree of unprecedented sophistication. These famine early warning systems have become increasingly sophisticated in the past decade, but they still tend to be based on several assumptions that are important to understand. This paper briefly describes existing famine early warning systems and outlines some of the assumptions on which they are based— both in theory and in practice. Then it gives four brief case studies of recent famine or “famine-like” events and pieces together the formal analysis process with an attempt to reconstruct events on the ground from a conflict analysis perspective—highlighting the extent to which the formal famine analysis did or did not deal with conflict analyses and the political kryptonite around the discussion of “intent.” It closes with a summary of gaps in the current system and an assessment of the risks of trying to address those gaps through famine EWS or alternative means.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Humanitarian Aid, Food, Famine, Food Security, and Conflict
Political Geography:
Kenya, Middle East, Yemen, North Africa, and Ethiopia

4. Constraints and Complexities of Information and Analysis in Humanitarian Emergencies: Evidence from Yemen

Author:
Daniel Maxwell, Peter Hailey, Lindsay Spainhour Baker, and Jeeyon Janet Kim
Publication Date:
06-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
Abstract:
Since 2014, Yemen has been engaged in a civil war between the Houthi group and supporters of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. By the end of 2018, the UN estimated that 15.9 million people—more than half the population—were facing severe acute food insecurity and in need of immediate food assistance. This report analyzes the challenges facing famine analysis in Yemen, including the Famine Risk Monitoring system recently put in place, and the integrated Phase Classification (IPC) system, used globally. The IPC is managed by a technical working group with the support of the food security and nutrition clusters and close involvement of the Yemeni authorities. Following the analysis, the report offers recommendations for ways to improve data collection and analysis on famine and famine risk in Yemen.
Topic:
Humanitarian Aid, War, Food, Food Security, Refugees, and Conflict
Political Geography:
Middle East, Yemen, and North Africa