Since 2015, Yemen has been in the midst of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The result of ongoing war with Saudi Arabia, hundreds of thousands of people people have died and millions of others have been left on the verge of starvation, displaced, and are now particularly vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What Exactly Is Happening In Yemen?
As reported by The Guardian: “Yemen has been troubled by civil wars for decades, but the current conflict intensified in March 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition intervened on behalf of the internationally recognised government against Houthi rebels aligned with the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.”
The United States has been involved in the war for years, backing the Saudi-led coalition. In February 2019, the United Nations declared it the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis, with over 24 million Yemenis (about 80% of the country’s population) in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Of those people, 14.3 million are classified as being in acute need, with around 3.2 million requiring treatment for severe malnutrition. In November 2018, it was estimated 85,000 children may have already died due to famine.
The coronavirus pandemic has only escalated the situation by making the living conditions even more extreme, putting sanitation and clean water in even shorter supply. Only half of the country’s healthcare facilities are operational, and many lack basic equipment like masks and gloves, let alone other supplies required to treat coronavirus.
As stated by UNICEF: “Before COVID-19, two million children were out of school. Now, because of the pandemic, schools have been closed around the country, leaving an additional five million children out of school.”
How You Can Help Yemen Through The Humanitarian Crisis
There are several ways in which you can lend a hand to help the people of Yemen amid the humanitarian crisis. In addition to raising awareness on social media, there are a number of organisations working hard on the ground that you can donate to.
Scroll on for seven ways you can show your support.
1. Donate To Doctors Without Borders (also known as Médecins Sans Frontières)
Yemen’s healthcare system collapsed in 2015 after the war escalated, and the country is facing the COVID-19 pandemic at a time when half the country’s healthcare facilities are nonoperational. Yemen is one of Doctors Without Borders’ largest in-country programs, with 2,200 staff on ground. They are also running the only treatment centre in southern Yemen dedicated to COVID-19 patients.
Learn more and donate here.
2. Donate to UNICEF
In Yemen, a child dies every 10 minutes from preventable causes. Eighty percent of the population — 24 million people, including 12.2 million children — are in need of humanitarian assistance. UNICEF provides water, education, nutrition and protection to vulnerable children and families while collaborating closely with partners to meet the urgent needs of the most at-risk children.
Learn more and donate here.
3. Donate to the UN World Food Programme
The UN World Food Programme helps to feed over 12 million Yemenis every month through direct food distributions or vouchers that people can use at retailers in areas where the markets are functioning. Each family of six gets a monthly ration of wheat flour, pulses, vegetable oil, sugar and salt. Unfortunately in April, a dip in funding caused the WFP to go from providing food monthly to offering it every other month.
Learn more and donate here.
4. Donate To Mona
Founded by a Yemeni journalist, along with two Canadian and Danish activists, this local group goes around the blockade of Yemen to provide food and supplies to families displaced by the war.
Learn more and donate here.
5. Sign Amnesty International’s Petition To Stop The Flow Of Weapons To Yemen
Amnesty International is aiming to end the transfer of weapons used to fuel the crisis in Yemen. Some countries — including Germany, the Netherlands and Norway — have started to restrict weapons sales to the Saudi and UAE-led coalition. But other countries, including the USA, UK, Spain, and Canada, are still supplying weapons. The petition will help to put pressure on countries to stop the transfers, reduce violations and civilian suffering, and drive home the message to the coalition that continued violations will not be tolerated.
Learn more and sign the petition here.
6. Donate To Baitulmaal
A small organisation that’s well-rated on Charity Navigator, Baitulmaal provides meals, life-saving antibiotics, medical test kits and hygiene kits to people in need. Your donation will enable them to continue their work in supporting the millions of people suffering in the crisis.
Learn more and donate here.
7. Donate To The International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee started their life-saving in Yemen in 2012. Their mission is to help people whose lives and livelihoods have been shattered by the disaster to survive, recover and regain control of their future. This includes providing general health, reproductive health, nutrition, water and sanitation services to more than a quarter-million people. They also improve access to education for millions of out-of-school children.
Learn more and donate here.
