THREE YEARS OF CONFLICT IN YEMEN: HAJA FATIMA’S STORY

As Yemen enters its fourth year of war this week, 22 million people ─ more than 80 percent of the population ─ are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Nearly 10,000 lives have been lost as a result of the conflict between Al Houthi forces and government forces supported by an international coalition. The conflict has contributed to the collapse of the economy and basic services, as well as an elevated risk of famine and a massive cholera epidemic. Today, more than 8.4 million people are on the brink of starvation. 

“We owned a small farm, where we grew corn and wheat, as well as some vegetables. We harvested several times a year and lived in a big house with my son, Ali, who is a math teacher, and his family, including my six grandchildren,” says Haja Fatima. In her sixties, she remembers a time before the war had not yet ravaged their village and chased her family out forcing them to go into exile.

When the war began, Haja Fatima and her family picked up items necessary for their survival and fled their home. They moved from place to place, and eventually they settled in the town of Al-Qanawis a few months ago. Together, they all live in a small house, rented for 6000 Yemeni rial – about $15 – a month.

“That sum may not seem like very much for many people, but it is a lot of money to us,” says Haja Fatima. “Every month, we find it hard to scrape the rent together.”

Since they arrived in Al-Qanawis, Ali has been looking for a paid teaching job, but the government has not paid civil servant salaries for some time now. In a situation where the job market is compromised, and faced with the urgent need of supporting his family, Ali accepted a scholarship in India and has been gone for two months now.