The Saudi-led coalition, consisting of ten countries began targeted air strikes on Houthi positions in Sana’a, Yemen on 26 March 2015. The coalition airstrikes escalated an already unstable situation into a fully-blown conflict. Humanitarian operations are being conducted in an active war zone where bombs are being dropped daily. The levels of insecurity under which the operation is being implemented cannot be overstated. The coalition also imposed an aerial and naval blockade as part of the military intervention, Operation Decisive Storm, which has radically limited the import of goods which are essential to the daily lives of all people in Yemen, and has exacerbated the suffering of affected people.
The perception of the UN humanitarian agencies as active, neutral, and impartial actors is increasingly questioned in Yemen. The UN and international NGOs need to expand their humanitarian operations across the country and demonstrate their ability to deliver assistance in a neutral and impartial manner.