COVID-19 Exacerbates the Effects of Water Shortages on Women in Yemen

Aug 20, 2020 | Margaret Habib
View Original

The UN estimates that gender-based violence (GBV) has affected 33 percent of women worldwide. In Yemen, GBV has increased by 63 percent since the start of the civil war. As of 2017, roughly 17 percent of women and girls in Yemen were at high risk for GBV. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated gender-based violence around the world. However in Yemen, lack of access to water and sanitation is a key contributor to GBV as well as a vector for many other diseases. COVID-19’s spread throughout the country underscores not only the importance of water, but also the disproportionate impact of water scarcity on women.

In June, the UN Children’s Fund published a report revealing the severity of the lack of access to water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance in Yemen, stating that 11.2 million of the 20.4 million Yemenis are in dire need. This deficiency stems from numerous factors: the climate crisis, water mismanagement, migration, and attacks on water systems. Since the start of the civil war, the Pacific Institute has logged 128 attacks to water systems in Yemen. The total renewable water resources per capita per year has continued to shrink, falling to 74.3 cubic meters in 2017. Individuals, mostly women, spend more time and effort obtaining water for their families, exposing them to unsafe areas, unsanitary water, and rendering them more vulnerable to GBV.