Middle East DVEP - Armed Forces Pest Management Board

________________________________________________________________________c. Population and Culture. Yemenis are mostly rural, with nearly two-thirds of theinhabitants living in small villages and settlements scattered along the coasts and in theHadhramaut Valley, the Tihama foothills, and the central highlands. The populationdensity is 21 persons per sq km, varying from 46 per sq km in the west to 7 per sq km inthe east. The population is 95% Arab, 3% Afro-Arab, and 2% others. Total population16.4 million; 23% urbanized; literacy rate 38%.d. Water, Living and Sanitary Conditions. Yemen is one of the least developedcountries in the world. It suffers from scarce, fecally contaminated water sources,indiscriminate waste disposal, and poor food sanitation. Yemen lacks effective watertreatment and distribution systems. Municipal water systems provide water to less than40% of the total population and less than 14% of the rural population. Poor systemmaintenance, breaks in the lines, and fluctuating water pressure result in contaminated tapwater. Adequate sanitation services, including wastewater treatment plants, are limited.Most urban areas are not connected to municipal sewage systems (in Sanaa, only 20% ofthe population is connected to a sewer system), relying instead on septic tanks, cesspools,and pit latrines. Rural inhabitants indiscriminately dispose of wastes. Refuse accumulatesin the streets, attracting vermin. Throughout Yemen there is great potential for the buildupof pest and vector populations associated with human habitations. These could pose asignificant disease threat to military personnel.62