Hays, Yemen – In a significant step to address Yemen’s ongoing humanitarian crisis, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has inaugurated a new Community Response Point (CRP) in Hays City, located south of Al-Hodeidah Governorate. This newly established CRP, celebrated with local community members and authorities, will provide essential protection services to approximately 500 displaced families, focusing on individuals with specific needs and ensuring a dignified, tailored response to their vulnerabilities.

“The centre in Hays is a critical component of our sustained efforts to support displaced families amidst nearly a decade of conflict,” said Matt Huber, IOM’s Acting Chief of Mission in Yemen. “This facility will deliver essential services to those who have faced prolonged hardship, addressing immediate needs while striving to restore dignity and build resilience within the community. Our commitment is to provide practical, continuous support that helps individuals navigate their challenges and begin rebuilding their lives.”

The need for such services is critical as Yemen is enduring one of the most severe displacement crises globally, with over 18.2 million people – nearly half of the country’s population – in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection services in 2024. The ongoing conflict has severely disrupted basic services and exacerbated the suffering of displaced and vulnerable communities.

The Hays centre is designed to address these challenges through a comprehensive range of services. It employs a case management system that tackles barriers to accessing essential services, providing a confidential space for managing cases and ensuring a dignified response for those with specific needs. 

Key activities include protection monitoring, psychosocial support sessions, and referrals for legal support, as well as shelter and sanitation assistance. This integrated approach aims to build upon existing social and protection structures, enhancing the capacity of individuals and groups to respond to threats and reduce reliance on harmful coping mechanisms.

The centre also adopts a Community-Based Protection approach by collaborating with Community Protection Committees in six key locations: Al-Sanah, Al-Silah, Al-Sadah, Al-Manasib, Bani Raza, and Al-Khamri. These committees are instrumental in identifying cases and making referrals, with the goal of preserving and enhancing the community’s self-protection capacities. By engaging local networks, the centre aims to build a robust system of support that empowers communities to take an active role in their protection.

Additionally, the facility addresses gaps in the humanitarian response by coordinating with partners to improve service delivery and enhance safety measures, including initiatives such as installing lighting points to boost security. IOM’s intervention in Hays is dedicated to strengthening community-based protection networks, supporting women’s groups, and integrating protection principles across all service sectors, thereby providing a comprehensive and inclusive response to the needs of displaced families.

Furthermore, IOM facilitates community-led recreational activities focused on mental health and psychosocial support within its safe spaces and CRPs, ensuring inclusivity for women, girls, and other vulnerable groups. By fostering safe, engaging environments, IOM aims to bolster community resilience and provide meaningful support to those impacted by prolonged conflict and displacement.

IOM is committed to extending these services to other underserved areas in Ma’rib and along the West Coast, where protection and humanitarian support remain critically limited. In these regions, the Organization plans to address critical gaps by opening new centres but also enhancing existing services to better meet the needs of vulnerable populations.

This vital initiative is supported by EU Humanitarian Aid and USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. IOM continues to call for sustained international support to alleviate the suffering of millions affected by years of prolonged conflict.

For more information, please contact:

Monica Chiriac, Media and Communications Officer: mchiriac@iom.int  
IOM Yemen’s Communications Team: iomyemenmediacomm@iom.int