On December 19, 2024, the Executive Unit for the Management of Displaced Persons Camps in Marib, Yemen, issued a desperate plea to aid more than 67,000 displaced families braving severe winter cold across over 200 camps in the region.

In an urgent call to partners, the unit highlighted the dire situation of these families, who are facing a "life-threatening" crisis due to freezing temperatures and frost in the camps, as reported by the official Saba news agency.

The Executive Unit stated that displaced individuals are currently enduring harsh humanitarian conditions in makeshift shelters that offer little protection against the biting cold. The unit warned that the ongoing cold waves pose a significant threat to children and the elderly living in these temporary homes, especially given the near-total lack of heating supplies and essential winter necessities.

The report noted that previous winters have seen fatalities among displaced populations due to extreme cold, and if immediate assistance is not provided this year, the risk of similar tragedies looms large.

The unit urged the United Nations and all regional and international organizations to act swiftly to protect thousands of women, children, and the elderly residing in Marib’s camps, which host over 60% of Yemen's total displaced population.

In its urgent appeal, the Executive Unit called for the provision of essential winter supplies such as blankets, warm clothing, heating tools, and the repair and improvement of damaged temporary shelters. It also emphasized the need for food aid and enhanced health services to combat winter-related illnesses, particularly for the most vulnerable groups.

Marib currently shelters about two-thirds of Yemen’s displaced population, facing acute shortages of food, medicine, and shelter amid dwindling humanitarian assistance from international organizations and agencies.