Cold snap worsens Yemen IDP hardships

A bitter cold front gripping Yemen has worsened conditions in displacement camps in Marib Province, where thousands face freezing temperatures with little shelter or aid.

Displaced families in Yemen's central Marib are enduring renewed hardship as a wave of cold weather, accompanied by strong winds, sweeps across the region. Temperatures have dropped sharply, exacerbating already dire living conditions for internally displaced persons (IDPs), many of whom take refuge in makeshift camps.

Abdulghani Al-Afandi and his family have been living in the Al-Suwaida Camp for four years. He recounted the challenges of surviving the cold snap without adequate supplies.

"There are no proper shelters in the camp. We don't have enough mattresses or blankets, just these tents, and they get extremely cold. The kids keep getting sick with colds and coughs. Sometimes, we can't even afford medicine," said Al-Afandi.

Medical personnel said the situation has triggered a surge in respiratory illnesses.

"Over the past few days, patient numbers have spiked. We're seeing 100 to 200 patients daily. Most suffer from chest infections due to the freezing temperatures and strong winds, especially since the camps lack proper heating. Most of the cases are mild, but we're also treating serious conditions like severe lung infections and asthma," said Dr. Rabie Al-Sama'i, a physician at a field hospital in Marib.

Ongoing conflict in Yemen, now in its second decade, has displaced millions. Marib hosts more than 2 million of these individuals, with Al-Suwaida Camp alone sheltering over 15,000 people across roughly 5,000 families. However, the shelters in the camps are poorly constructed and essential supplies are scarce, making life increasingly difficult for the displaced.

"Housing is our biggest challenge. The shelters for the displaced are still temporary, just thatch or tents. You'd think after 10 years these could be replaced by more durable structures that protect from the weather and offer privacy. But unfortunately, aid continues to decline," said Dr. Khaled Al-Shajani, deputy head of Yemen's Executive Unit for the Management of IDP Camps in Marib.

Cold snap worsens Yemen IDP hardships

Cold snap worsens Yemen IDP hardships

Cold snap worsens Yemen IDP hardships

Cold snap worsens Yemen IDP hardships

China will enhance its equipment upgrading and trade-in programs in 2026 to boost domestic demand, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced on Tuesday.

Regarding promoting large-scale equipment upgrades and replacing old consumer goods with new ones, significant progress was reported in 2025. In the past year, ultra-long-term special government bond funds were arranged to support approximately 8,400 equipment-upgrading projects, stimulating total investments exceeding 1 trillion yuan (about 143.5 billion U.S. dollars). Over 360 million people applied for subsidies under the consumer goods trade-in scheme, leading to sales of related goods surpassing 2.6 trillion yuan.

Wang Shancheng, director of the Department of Resource Conservation and Environmental Protection at the NDRC, said at a press conference that the Implementation of these measures will continue to be optimized in 2026.

"We will further lower the investment threshold for application projects, increase support for small and medium-sized enterprises, expand policy coverage, implement the requirements for building a unified national market, and implement unified subsidy standards nationwide for the scrapping and replacement of vehicles, trade-in of six categories of home appliances, and four categories of digital and smart product purchases," said Wang.

The NDRC representative also highlighted that in 2026, efforts will focus on comprehensively expanding domestic demand. An implementation plan to expand domestic demand for the 2026-2030 period will be formulated. Furthermore, the NDRC will promote upgrades in key industries, explore establishing a national-level mergers and acquisitions fund, and cultivate and bolster emerging and future industries.

China to enhance equipment upgrades and trade-in programs in 2026