The past, present, and uncertain future of Yemen
By Rena Curtis, Wisteria Magazine
“Before the war you could eat whatever you wanted – chicken, chocolate bars, anything. Now it’s a bit of tea and just a handful of food, one bite only.¨ Ahmed Abdu (Craig, 2017)
Ahmed Abdu has experienced 3 full years of war and famine, as have 24 million Yemenis, 80% of the country's population. Since 2015 ,the crisis has only escalated and there is no end in sight. Prior to the official humanitarian crisis that we know of, the 2011-2012 revolution against the then President Saleh, created a threatening divide in Yemen. The revolution forced people to take very clear sides, choosing between standing with the Houthis and backing Saleh, or supporting new president Hadi with the Saudi coalition. The 2011 revolution resulted in President Saleh being forced to transfer power to Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.
Fast forward to 2015, Yemen's political climate worsened when the Saudi led coalition intervened, showing power over the Houthis. It's crucial to observe that the Iranian support for Houthi rebels and Saudia Arabia's support for the Saudi led coalition further worsened the tension between the two countries which caused a domino effect making Yemen more susceptible to war. The Saudi led coalition has more support than the Houthis, including that of the U.S, U.K, and Canada, all of which have been supporting the Saudi led coalition by way of intelligence and weapons. Beyond the political climate in disarray, Yemen is one of the most dangerous places to be a woman, currently has 1,000 child soldiers in action, their land is riddled with landmines from previous wars and airstrikes, and is devastated with Cholera and now COVID-19. Medical care in conflict zones is historically scarce and Yemen is no different. Medical facilities are few and far between, often in rubble, and very rarely have the capacity to test and treat COVID.
Reducing a country to its war and refraining from talking about how it affects a country's people is negligent and not helpful to the people endangered by said war. Because of Saudi led coalition's patrol, aid to Yemen is prevented and not always possible. This aid can include food, water, medical supplies and housing. UNICEF reports that a Yemeni child dies every ten minutes from lack of aid. Like anyone, children and adults in Yemen deserve access to safe and healthy schooling and housing. War however, makes that extremely difficult to attain. As a result, 2 million children are out of class permanently and 3.6 million families are displaced. It is painfully obvious how desperately needed humanitarian aid is in Yemen, and discouraging how little 1st world countries are doing to support Yemen, even while knowing how dire the situation is. I know how overwhelming these crises can feel to someone reading about them and it's important to know what YOU can do. Donations are not always an option but if you or someone you know now are capable of financially supporting Yemenites I urge you to do so. If that is not the case, signing petitions, writing letters, calling legislators and urging them to stop supporting the U.S war on Yemen, and talking to your friends and family about the crisis are all free and supportive.
Children and families like Ahmed Abdu cannot wait for aid.
Please take action and educate yourselves. Below are links to resources to do so.
https://yemencrisis.carrd.co (a general link to petitions, donations, and info)
www.freerice.co (a word game that donates food)
https://www.uhclthesignal.com/wordpress/2020/07/19/explainer-the-crisis-in-yemen/ (info for visual learners)
