Voices of Yemen
Yemen hasn’t seen peace in 5 years, and over 24 million people are in need of urgent aid. Behind these statistics are people going through immense suffering. See the Yemen crisis through the eyes of three women.
A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Yemen, as millions flee their homes to escape a devastating conflict. Like Bardyiah Yaqoob, Fatoum, and Kudafa, more than 3.65 million have been forced to flee their homes. Now they face the added threat of COVID-19.
UNHCR provides life-saving aid to displaced Yemenis, as well as to refugees and asylum-seekers, across the country. However, limited funding means we are not able to fully address these massive needs, limiting our capacity to provide life-saving relief.
Emergency on top of emergency
Conflict, cholera, hunger, coronavirus. The scale of the crisis and depth of needs in Yemen is staggering. Access to healthcare is severely limited and resources have been exhausted. Every day people die as a result of violence, treatable diseases like cholera and from a lack of food, water and shelter.
As the coronavirus pandemic gains force with alarming speed, UNHCR is working with local communities to contain the virus and save lives.
Yemeni women dream of peace
Imagine a country where 80% of the population rely on humanitarian aid for their daily survival. Throughout five years of conflict, many families had to flee with little time to pack, lost homes with little warning. All of them dream of peace – of being able to return home, yet some can barely look after themselves.
Bardyiah Yaqoob had to flee her home in Hudaydah in order to survive, but now she is displaced and dependent on UNHCR assistance for survival. Her son tries to help as much as he can, but he currently doesn’t have a stable job and conditions are exceedingly difficult. To add to that, Bardyiah Yaqoob’s knee injury makes it very difficult for her to walk long distances and even use the toilet. Her doctor says she needs surgery, but access to healthcare is severely limited.
For Fatoum seeing war with her own eyes and going through the experience of having to flee for her life is something she will never forget. The fear she felt for her daughters is still very real. When they were running for their life, they didn’t even take anything from their house because survival was more important.
Kudafa dreams of going back home, even if she knows that the home she and her daughters left could now be damaged from the war. But most of all, she dreams of security and stability, especially for her children. Her daughter is currently ill, and she can’t get treatment because the war has damaged so much infrastructure and they barely have access to health facilities.
Despite limited funding, difficulties with humanitarian access, ongoing clashes and the devastating onset of coronavirus, UNHCR remains on the ground to deliver life-saving assistance and reach those who have been forced to flee their homes and leave everything behind.
Your help ensures that forcibly displaced families can get access to food, clean water and emergency healthcare across Yemen. They already face abject poverty and hardship. Your compassion makes it possible for life-saving aid programmes to keep running.
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