At the Mercy of the Climate: The Impact of Climate Change on IDPs in Yemen

Aden, (February, 15, 2025)

Executive Summary

In Yemen, Climate change renders some areas uninhabitable, when people are displaced, their lives change overnight. They are forced to live in frontline’s communities, disproportionately affected by climate change. Despite their minimal contribution to climate change exacerbation, frontline communities (including IDPs, women, Muhamasheen, and persons with disabilities) are the most affected by its ongoing impacts.

A study prepared by Holm Akhdar for Environmental Studies and Consultancy on climate displacement, entitled ‘At the Mercy of the Climate: The Impact of Climate Change on IDPs in Yemen’ concluded that the extreme climate events in Yemen during the period (2020-2024) have pushed more than a half of IDPs to adopt maladaptive coping strategies. This study examines the impact of climate change on IDPs in Yemen across six chapters, focusing on IDPs in Marib, Hajjah, Al-Maharah, and Socotra.

The significance of this study lies in its being one of the first case studies that examine the impact of climate change on internal displacement in Yemen, specifically focusing on the governorates of Marib, Hajjah, Al Maharah and Socotra. Prior to this research, no comprehensive studies have been conducted on the impact of climate change-induced displacement in these particular areas. The importance of the study is also reflected in its subject, which may make this study a new qualitative addition to increased understanding of the impact of climate change on internal displacement in Yemen.

Summary of Findings

Drivers of Displacement

Field findings indicated that approximately 13.9% of the IDPs surveyed in Marib, Hajjah, Al-Maharah, and Socotra, were displaced primarily due to the impact of climate changes in their areas of origin (See FIGURE 1). Among those displaced due to climate changes, around 10.2% experienced displacement triggered by floods and landslides, leading to the destruction of housing in their areas of origin. Additionally, 3.7% of them were displaced by drought and shortage of rainfall in their areas of origin, leading to water scarcity and affecting sources of income, with disruption of various livelihoods such as agriculture, grazing and other economic activities.

The findings of focused group discussions (FGDs) and qualitative interviews conducted by Holm Akhdar team, as part of this study, reveal that climate disasters have intensified the hardship experienced by IDPs, compelling them to endure multiple displacements, either within sites or towards other districts and governorates. A significant portion of climate-induced displacement from these camps can be attributed to torrential rains and flash floods, as witnessed in Socotra and Al Maharah governorates. Additionally, in the camps of Hajjah Governorate, displacement was driven by water scarcity, prompting IDPs to seek relocation to areas in close proximity to wells and water sources.

Direct Climate Impacts on IDPs

The study findings indicate that a significant proportion 94.3% of the IDPs in the governorates of Marib, Hajjah, Al Maharah, and Socotra have already experienced a wide range of climate-related impacts within their temporary camps. At the governorate level, the study revealed that IDPs in the eastern regions, namely Al Maharah and Socotra, were most severely affected, with 100% of them reporting these effects. In Marib and Hajjah, the percentages of affected IDPs were 95.5% and 90%, respectively. This discrepancy can be attributed to the successive and concerning occurrence of extreme weather events in the eastern regions, for example, between 2015 and 2023, Yemen was hit by eight cyclones and severe storms, compared to only one tropical storm in the previous years (2007-2014).

The most pressing threats posed by climate change to IDPs in Yemen include intense storms such us thunderstorms (affected 96.7% of the IDPs), heavy rains (affected 93.1%), and flash floods (affected 75.1%) (See FIGURE 2). These impacts are associated with an escalating death toll and exacerbated losses and damages on an annual basis. It is imperative to recognize the heightened vulnerability of frontline communities, which are particularly exposed to the adverse effects of climate change. Displaced people including women, children, Muhamasheen, persons with disabilities, and others are the most affected and least able to cope with these impacts. This exacerbates the climate displacement crisis, thereby creating a vicious cycle of intergenerational trauma and ecological devastation.

Compounding Effects of Climate Change on IDPs

Survey results presented in FIGURE 3 indicate that food shortages and difficulty accessing relief assistance are among the most prominent compounding impacts of climate change, affecting 81.2% of IDPs in Marib, Hajjah, Al-Maharah, and Socotra. These challenges are further exacerbated when camps are struck by rainstorms or flash floods, which destroy supplies. The overall weak humanitarian responses and inadequate emergency preparedness by organizations and authorities, before or after climate disasters, contribute to unmet needs across displacement sites. Currently, only 720 of 2,284 IDP camps in Yemen are covered by international organizations, and humanitarian partners (CCCM Yemen, 2023), reflecting a decade-long inadequacy in addressing the needs of all IDP communities.

Based on results in FIGURE 3, extreme weather events-such as storms, torrential rains, and floods-have caused 74.3% of IDP respondents to lose their shelters, particularly in flood-prone areas where makeshift housing offers little protection. According to focus group discussions with IDP community leaders in Marib, 6,500 tents have been completely destroyed by floods in the last four years, and thousands of tents have been partially damaged. In addition, 175 camps and sites were completely damaged by flash floods in 2024. In Hajjah governorate, 91 IDP camps were severely damaged by floods, with 3,160 tents completely destroyed, and 2,869 tents partially damaged over the past four years. In Al Maharah, nearly 2,500 IDPs are still directly exposed to the risk of flooding in the camps.

Climate change has contributed to disease outbreaks and epidemics such as fevers (malaria and chikungunya), with 73.1% of IDPs affected by fevers, cholera, diarrhea and other epidemics due to swamps created by rainwater, flooding and sewage polluting (See FIGURE 3). Stagnant floodwaters create breeding grounds for disease vectors like mosquitoes. These challenges are compounded by a lack of functional healthcare facilities in these governorates, as many of them sustained serious damages by conflict and extreme weather events.

Data in FIGURE 3 indicates that 61.2% of IDPs across the four surveyed governorates identified fires in camps and shelters as significant recurring risks, intricately linked to climate-related factors. The study team noted an increase in fire incidents within IDP camps, forcing residents to seek alternative shelters. Fires often occur due to elevated temperatures in summer, floods, storms, high winds, electrical malfunctions, or cooking practices within tents, and mostly exacerbated by the absence of fire safety and prevention tools (e.g. fire extinguishers, fire blankets) in IDP camps. For example, between January 2020 and June 2024, there were 636 fires in Marib’s camps, resulting in 36 deaths and 89 injuries, including children and women.

Social tensions are a major cumulative effect exacerbated by extreme climatic events affecting IDP communities in Yemen. Approximately 44.1% of displaced respondents (FIGURE 3) reported an increase in social tensions and threats from the host community regarding land issues associated with the camps, which are often owned by local residents. Currently, 103 camp face immediate evacuation threats. After nearly a decade of displacement, landowners are increasingly motivated to invest in their properties, most of which lack formal rental agreements. Additionally, tensions arise from competition over scarce services and resources in host communities. This is particularly evident in the camps located in Marib and Hajjah.

The compounded effects of climate change are prominently reflected in the degradation of vegetation and land in displaced communities. Approximately 43.3% of IDPs reported damage to large areas of vegetation in Al-Maharah, Socotra, Hajjah, and Marib. Cyclones Chapala and Megh caused a considerable harm to endangered trees in Socotra, uprooting entire groups of Dragon’s Blood trees. A local expert from EPA explained that “the Boswellia trees in Socotra, known as frankincense trees, in the Homhil Nature Reserve lost about 30% of its trees due to the intense winds of the cyclones. Shortly after being weakened by those damages, the remaining frankincense trees were attacked by bark beetles, resulting in an additional 30% loss of these unique and endangered species.”

Furthermore, the floods posed cumulative effects by washing away landmines and explosives left from military conflicts. Landmines represent grave risks to frontline communities, impacting 17.1% of IDPs in Marib and Hajjah (see FIGURE 4). These risks were notably heightened in August 2024 after severe flooding in Marib and Hajjah led to these explosives drifting near displacement camps.

Adapting to a Changing Climate

The climate shocks experienced in the governorates of Marib, Hajjah, Al-Maharah and Socotra have forced displaced families to adopt maladaptive coping strategies, due to their inability to effectively cope with climate risks. The findings, as shown in FIGURE 4, reveal that about 62% of the surveyed IDP respondents resorted to changing their shelters and relocating once again in order to evade the floods and storms that ravaged their initial displacement camps. Among them, 36% had to shift their shelters within their displacement area. Conversely, 26% of the IDPs reported that they relocated to other areas deemed safer from their perspective. The decision to undertake a second displacement was primarily influenced by their proximity to torrents and flash floods course. While this adaptation strategy may provide temporary relief from immediate climate threats, it could further deepen the climate displacement crisis in the country.

A notable part of IDPs, accounting for 38%, have made a deliberate decision to remain in their camps, adapt, and withstand floods and climate threats. 27% of these IDPs have collaborated with their displaced and host communities to mitigate the risk of flooding by constructing buffers and earthen barriers in front of the camps to deter floodwaters. Additionally, they have taken the initiative to educate fellow camp residents through applications such as WhatsApp and others, disseminating knowledge about the hazards of floods, winds, and storms, as well as providing guidance on improved tent installation techniques. Another 7% of IDPs have employed alternative energy technologies in their camps as a means of adapting to climate risks. In Al-Maharah, Marib and Hajjah governorate, 4% of them were compelled to change their professions or occupations. Key actors in Yemen should focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation as key response strategies.

The findings of this study demonstrates that the disasters and climate shocks in Yemen have pushed more than a half of IDPs to adopt maladaptive coping strategies.

Systemic factors contributing to the exacerbation of climate shocks

The study reveal a range of systemic and institutional factors that contribute to the intensification of climate risks faced by displaced communities, as well as the issue of increasing climate-induced displacement. FIGURE 5 illustrates the most significant factors, accounting for 82% of the IDPs respondents, which is absence of early warning systems EWS to effectively alert local communities of climate-related disasters. In addition, all shelter camps in Yemen have no EWS for disaster risk reduction DRR, including camps in the regions of Marib, Al Maharah, Hajjah, and Socotra. This is closely followed by 80% limited official awareness regarding the severity of climate change and the necessary preparations to mitigate its impacts.

Lack of policies pertaining to the environment and climate ranks third among these contributing factors, representing 75.5% according to respondents. Furthermore, the absence of environmental governance and inadequate institutional capacities are identified as additional factors contributing to climate risks, accounting for 75.1% of the total. Insufficient international support provided to Yemen in confronting climate change is also a major factor, representing 74.7%. (See FIGURE 5)

The study results also highlighted a weak response to the climate emergency, revealing significant shortcomings among key actors. Specifically, 57% of IDPs reported that local authorities and humanitarian organizations have implemented limited interventions to mitigate climate risks and facilitate adaptation efforts. Furthermore, 43% of IDPs indicated that no meaningful actions were taken in their IDP sites to protect them from climate disasters. The lack of climate risk reduction interventions was particularly pronounced in the governorates of Socotra and Al-Maharah, as reported by 67% of IDPs, followed by 57% in Hajjah and 29% in Marib.

Without climate action and adaptation strategies, the impact of climate change on IDPs in Yemen will not be limited to the current situation but will extend to successive generations within each local community, perpetuating cycles of vulnerability and displacement.

Recommendations

Based on the survey findings, the focus group discussions (FGD), stakeholder interviews, and participants’ recommendations, the study recommends the following::

FIRST: Recommendations to the Internationally Recognized Government (IRG) of Yemen and its local authorities:

To the Presidency of the Council of Ministers:

Strengthen multi-level governance mechanisms, based on an integrated approach to climate management, through a plan that involves all stakeholders, including the most vulnerable groups in affected communities.
Integrate the topic of climate change and its potentially dangerous consequences into the compulsory education curricula in primary schools.
Prohibit haphazard construction in valleys areas, flood-prone zones, areas adjacent to water dams, unstable rock and mud masses, or unplanned areas.
Strengthen the role of specialized bodies in the field of disasters, namely: the Civil Defense Authority, the Meteorological Authority, the Environmental Protection Authority, the Geological Survey Authority, and the Yemen Red Crescent Society.
Supporting universities and research centers to improve knowledge production on climate change, adaptation solutions and climate resilience.

To the Executive Unit for IDPs Camps Management (EXUIDPs):

Update the National Policy for Addressing Internal Displacement to include protection of the most vulnerable groups from the impact of climate change.
Develop a national plan to address climate displacement that involves active integration and participation of vulnerable communities, including IDPs, women, Muhamasheen, persons with disabilities, and the host community, in proposing solutions.
Develop standards for IDP camps: Ensure that camps and IDP hosting areas are, to the extent possible, in line with the principles of protection-based physical planning, including as regards location, layout and design of services. Considerations will include distance from armed conflict or other sources of violence, should be away from the course of torrents or water dams; community participation in family plot layout; allocation of adequate space per family; safe access to resources, such as food, water and firewood; and services, such as police, camp management offices, WASH, schools, markets and community centers; security lighting; safety and prevention; and establishment of child-friendly spaces.

To the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE):

Start-up formulation of environmental-climate policies with procedures to support the implementation of Environmental Protection Law No. 26/1995. Additionally, the National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) should be updated.
The focus should be on climate risk management according to potential scenarios for Yemen over the next five years. This will contribute to decision-making based on climate data and the development of appropriate plans to mitigate and adapt to these risks.
The role of the Environmental Protection Authority in climate action should be reinforced, and it should be linked to climate stations in order to contribute to the preparation of risk assessment reports for flood water collection areas, in particular those situated in close proximity to population centers.
The Ministry of Water and Environment must require international and local organizations and industrial companies to comply with the requirements of Environmental Protection Law, the Water Law, the National Water Sector Strategy and Investment Program (NWSSIP), when implementing wells, WASH, energy or other projects, in order to ensure the preservation of the environment and resources and the sustainable utilization of resources.
Improving the quality of national data and reports on Yemen’s vegetation cover, so that data is followed up by monitoring areas of decline in vegetation cover and fertile land and soil, and proposing solutions to address the environmental degradation.

To the Local Authorities in all Governorates:

Coordinate with actors to establish an early warning system for storms and floods to include all governorate centers and districts.
Establish a climate emergency room in each governorate. The function of this room would be to collect climate data and meteorological warnings from national authorities, with a view to sharing these warnings with local residents through communication and media (SMS, radio, TV, platforms, and social media sites), including displacement camps in the governorate.
Prepare a disaster management contingency plan at the local level in coordination with relevant actors, with a particular focus on the largest flood-prone IDP shelter sites.
Strengthening local capacities in DRR, with a focus on early flood preparedness in displaced communities.
Limit haphazard construction practices in general, prevent the establishment of IDP camps on non-state land to avoid future social conflicts.
Promote reforestation and tree planting activities in the governorates, including displacement sites and desertified areas.

SECONDLY: Recommendations to the Donors:

Providing technical support to the Ministry of Water and Environment, and capacity building support in the preparation of Yemen’s climate governance strategy, with the participation of all relevant parties, including the most vulnerable groups in climate-affected communities.
Provide the Yemeni Meteorological Authority with climate change analytical modeling tools to enable the development of national and local climate scenarios, as well as risk and disaster planning.
Supply the necessary equipment, tools, and technical devices to local institutions specializing in disaster management (e.g., Civil Defense Authority, Environmental Protection Authority, Geological Survey Authority, Earthquake Monitoring Center) to enhance their capacity for disaster risk reduction in vulnerable communities.
Investing in adaptation programs that meet the needs of all sectors, and support innovative community-led initiatives. This contributes to the reduction of climate vulnerability in the most vulnerable communities.
Leverage the existing partnership with the actors to support the expansion of the early warning systems that implemented in Sana’a and Hadhramout , to include expanding these systems in all affected governorates, in addition to biodiversity areas and nature reserves such as Socotra and Al-Maharah.

THIRD: Recommendations to UN Agencies:

To the Office of the Resident Coordinator (RC) and the UN Country Team (UNCT)

Adopt contingency planning and disaster risk reduction in all IDP camps in Yemen.
Support the Executive Unit for IDPs (EXUIDP) on the issue of camps threatened with urgent forced eviction, and ensure the safety of IDPs living in these camps.
Urge organizations and humanitarian partners in Yemen to apply environmental, social and governance standards to reduce the environmental and social risks that may result from their projects. While seeking to develop measurable indicators on an annual basis, ensuring the preservation of the environment, climate and natural resources on the one hand, and on the other hand maintaining the reputation and social acceptance of these organizations.
Promote a climate justice approach, and the governance of risks and social tensions resulting from climate displacement, which may lead to the creation of conditions that increase the likelihood of widespread environmental degradation.
Channel part of the support towards innovative solutions and creative initiatives that enhance the adaptation and resilience of displaced communities within their temporary communities.

To the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):

Increase support for livelihoods programs targeting IDPs in affected areas, providing employment opportunities that improve the income of displaced families while enhancing climate adaptation and resilience.
Direct some funding to innovative solutions and climate action initiatives to strengthen the adaptation and resilience of vulnerable communities in Yemen.
Support capacity-building activities on climate action for civil society organizations, institutions, small/medium-sized enterprises, and community-based initiatives to enhance resilience, adaptation, and mitigation.

To the International Organization for Migration (IOM):

Develop a climate emergency plan for all internal displacement sites, including sites managed by the International Organization for Migration.
Provide EWS systems and firefighting equipment to displacement camps, especially the denser ones, including sites managed by IOM.
Invest in the development of social sectors and the protection of the most vulnerable groups.

To the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):

Establish a unified coordination mechanism between UN agencies, the Executive Unit for IDP Camps and local authorities to address the data gaps on climate-induced displacement and humanitarian needs. Ensure that the data collected is comprehensive, covering the phenomenon, its impacts and proposed solutions.
Improving estimates on the number of IDPs in the context of climate change in Yemen. Data should be more transparent, comprehensive, and disaggregated on the patterns and drivers of climate-induced internal displacement.
Effectively involve stakeholders, namely IDPs (including women, Muhamasheen, people with disabilities and the host community) in the assessment and monitoring of needs, and find solutions that are tailored to their specific challenges and needs.

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Methodology

Employing a descriptive and analytical approach, the research utilized a questionnaire as the primary data collection tool, supplemented by Twenty qualitative interviews and five focus groups (both males and females) with 37 participants. The questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 310 IDPs across 26 sites in four governorates: Marib, Hajjah, Al-Maharah, and Socotra. 245 valid and fully completed questionnaires were returned, resulting in a response rate of 79%. The total number of participants across all study tools amounted to 302, male and female individuals. These participants were distributed among questionnaire respondents, FGDs participants, and qualitative interviews. The collected data were subsequently analyzed using SPSS and Microsoft Excel.

Author(s); Mohammed Al-Hakimi, Amani Mohammed, and Maha Al-Salehi.

Publisher: Holm Akhdar for Environmental Studies & Consultancy

Languages; English.

This study was carried out by Holm Akhdar for Environmental Studies & Consultancy with the support of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) through the Embassy of Switzerland to Oman and Yemen.

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