Humanitarian Relief for Yemen

General Overview

Now in its eighth year of conflict, Yemen remains the largest humanitarian crisis globally, with 24 million people out of the population of 30.5 million in need of humanitarian assistance. The conflict has left 4 million people, including 2 million children, internally displaced, and at least 500,000 public sector workers have been without salaries for over five years.

Humanitarian access to vulnerable populations remains severely constrained with rising food insecurity, poor sanitation and lack of safe water. The water supply and sanitation systems have been severely affected by the conflict. An estimated 17.8 million people are in acute need of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services.

Immunization coverage has stagnated at the national level, resulting in outbreaks of measles, diphtheria, and other vaccine-preventable diseases, and leaving the population vulnerable to polio. Thirty-seven per cent of children under 1 year are not fully vaccinated and therefore at higher risk of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Children are bearing the brunt of the conflict: over 11,000 children have been killed or wounded since the conflict began; 2,700 boys have been recruited into armed forces and groups; and over 500,000 children under 5 years are suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The damage and closure of schools and hospitals are threatening children’s access to education and health services, rendering them vulnerable to serious protection concerns. At least 2 million children in Yemen are out of school. While an estimated 46 per cent of girls and 54 percent of boys are enrolled in school, secondary-level girls are more likely to drop out due to security issues, lack of female teachers and the lack of appropriate WASH facilities.

After intense fighting at the beginning of 2022, a UN-brokered truce between April and October offered a glimpse of hope; civilian casualties and displacement decreased, fuel imports were received through Hodeidah port, and limited commercial flights only to Jordan began out of Sanaa. However, the humanitarian crisis has continued due to the severe depreciation of the Yemeni rial, cuts to international programs assisting Yemen, and instability in international supply chains stemming from the crisis in Ukraine.

In January 2022, the WFP was forced to cut food assistance to 8 million people in Yemen. The WFP’s needs-based plan was just 38 percent funded for October 2022 – March 2023, with a net funding requirement of USD 1.04 billion.

Yemen is a country plagued by violence, pain, and suffering. The ongoing war has left more than 1 million children without proper support. In fact, 1.2 million children have been reported in 2019 as orphans in Yemen from—which less than 5% have been sponsored.

2022 Highlights

• 250,523 people benefited from food baskets and 48,643 people received two kilograms of meat during major holidays.
• 377 individuals received emergency medical and financial assistance.
• 5,860 children received school bags holding school supplies and textbooks.
• 1,700 families received sheep, hens and beehives for income generation and sustenance.
• Over 7,000 blankets and winter clothes were disturbed to help fight Yemen’s harsh winters.
• Over 3,000 people now have daily access to clean drinking water via distribution of water tanks.
• 818 boxes of medicine and medical equipment distributed to eleven hospitals across Yemen.
• An ultrasound machine was delivered to the emergency department in the largest public hospital in Sana’a benefiting countless number of people.
• 18 handheld ultrasound probes were delivered to benefit eighteen hospitals throughout Yemen.
• Over 900 orphans received sustained financial support and

Food security and livelihoods

The Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation (YRRF) provides food baskets to families in need, reaching the places that are often inaccessible. Each food basket supports an average Yemeni family of 6 for one month. During the reporting period from January to December 2022, YRRF distributed 35,798 food baskets benefiting 250,523 individuals across 14 governorates and 45 districts.

YRRF also supports local charitable bakeries and kitchens. During major holidays such as Feast of the Sacrifice, YRRF distributed two or more kilograms of meat per family. In 2022, we reached over 48,000 people with meat distributions.

97% of our food basket distribution costs are spent on food, and only 3% on logistics including delivery.

Health

Yemen’s medical system, already fragile before the onset of the war and the coronavirus pandemic, is under immense strain. Only about 50% of health services in Yemen are operational due to the war. Furthermore, import restrictions and the economic crisis have made medicine extremely expensive and hard to attain. In 2022, YRRF distributed one ultrasound machine, 18 handheld ultrasound probes to hospitals, and supported 11 hospitals across Yemen with 818 boxes of medicine and medical equipment.

Education

The Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation aims to support Yemeni children by distributing school supplies and school bags to families who cannot afford them. This includes printed textbooks, as many families cannot afford to print them. Through our volunteers and partners in the field, YRRF reached 5,860 children in 15 governorates across Yemen. These bags are filled with notebooks, pens, rulers, pencils, and other educational materials.

In August and September, we distributed educational materials to 300 intellectually disabled students at the Handicapped Development Society in Sana’a city.

Orphan support (Zakat eligible)

The Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation’s Orphans Project provides sustainable support for over 900 orphans less than 18 years of age across Yemen. This allows families to access minimum basic needs, such as food, shelter, education for the children, and healthcare. Without this support, these families would be struggling to feed their members as many have lost their sole provider.

In 2021, YRRF began vocational training and capacity building initiatives to orphaned children preparing them for jobs after high school or increasing their chances of university acceptance. In 2022, YRRF provided 60 orphans with training in computer programming and cell phone repairs.

Income generation

The war has exacerbated food prices for a country that imports more than three-quarters of its food needs. Additionally, the crisis in Ukraine, and the subsequent impact on global chain supplies (specifically wheat) has particularly affected Yemen. YRRF has multiple projects that aim to enable poor and vulnerable families in Yemen to generate income in a sustainable way to improve their food security, self-reliance, and dignity in a time of severe deprivation. In 2022, YRRF distributed 585 sheep, 600 egg-laying hens (with 1 rooster per family), and 140 beehives. Livestock serves as a source of protein, nourishment, and income to families in need.

YRRF is currently supporting 20 girls from 3 governorates who are completing a three-year midwifery diploma. In June, YRRF provided a training course for 1,500 women and girls in Tareem, Hadhramout Governorate. This 45-day training course provided instruction in nursing and first aid, handicraft production, sewing, and hairdressing. Additionally, in January 2022, YRRF distributed 35 sewing machines to women in need and conducted sewing training.

Winter clothing

There are now over 4 million internally displaced people in Yemen, most of whom lack protection against severe temperatures that can reach as low as –6°C. The Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation distributes winter blankets and clothing to families and children who are not able to purchase their own. In 2022, we distributed a total of 3,300 winter blankets to families, internally displaced persons, widows, disabled individuals and patients at a cancer treatment center. Additionally, YRRF distributed 3,861 winter jackets and sweaters to children, orphans, families, internally displaced persons and disabled students in twelve governorates.

Water Projects

About 18 million people in Yemen lack access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. This puts them at risk of contracting water-borne diseases, such as cholera. YRRF provides safe and clean drinking water to neighborhoods to ensure the daily health of families and children. In total, we provided 3,420 individuals daily with clean water.

Thank you for supporting our aid efforts in Yemen. 

We are grateful to our partners and our donors, who enable our work. We are making sure that the world does not forget about Yemen. 

Want to stay up-to-date on our efforts? Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. 

Earlier this year in January, tensions escalated in Yemen. For four days, most of Yemen was on Internet blackouts after air strikes damaged the National telecoms infrastructure in the city of Hodeida.

Three months later, the situation has worsened. The UN estimates that three in four people in Yemen — need humanitarian assistance and many are facing famine, and an estimated 2.3 million children are acutely malnourished. To make matters worse, the World Food Program said it was forced to reduce food rations for 8 million people in Yemen at the beginning of the year. “We have no choice but to take food from the hungry to feed the starving,” WFP executive director David Beasley said last month.

Over the last three months, YRRF has continued our programs in Yemen—from distributing food baskets and supporting orphans to launching long-term income-generating projects.

Distributing food in Yemen

Between January and March 2022, we distributed 8,317 food baskets—benefiting 58,219 people. These distributions occurred in dozens of districts across the country, including districts in Sana’a, Almahweet, Aljawf, Dhamar, Aden, Hodeida, Hajjah, Hadramout, Ibb, Raymah, Sada’a, and Taiz. We also donated food baskets to 5 charity food kitchens across the country.

Supporting orphans in Yemen and providing financial assistance

As we’ve mentioned in the past, the war in Yemen has orphaned an estimated 1.2 million children. Our orphan program provides sustainable support for families caring for orphans under 18 years of age. Between January and March 2022, we provided financial support to 2,726 orphans, averaging 908 orphas per month, so that they can meet their basic financial and educational needs.

We also provided financial and medical support to six people who were in dire need of assistance.

Launching income-generating projects in Yemen

Beyond providing direct aid, between January and March 2022, we launched three income-generating projects. We continued our existing program by distributing 90 sheep to families in need— each family received 3 sheep. We also distributed 90 honey bee hives to 30 families—each family received 3 honey bee hives. Beyond these two programs, we also distributed 35 sewing machines to women in need., and conducted sewing training for them. We supported the training of 60 women on midwifery practices. We also provided 60 orphans with training in computer programming, and cell phone repairs.

Providing clean water to people in Yemen

Clean water in Yemen is critical; in fact, Yemenis face a higher risk of contracting water-borne diseases. In December we distributed 103 water tanks—we estimate that 970 people will benefit from this project.

Now at the end of the seventh year of war, Yemen remains the largest emergency globally, with 24 million people out of the population of 30.5 million in need of humanitarian assistance. The conflict has left 4 million people, 3.2 million of them are women and children, internally displaced, and at least 500,000 public sector workers have been without salaries for almost 6 years. Humanitarian access to vulnerable populations remains severely constrained with rising food insecurity, poor sanitation and lack of safe water.

2021 Highlights

• 226,494 people (including 151,297 children) benefited from food baskets and 32,000 people received 2 kilograms of meat during major holidays.
• 67 families received financial assistance towards healthcare and 520 visually impaired children received eye medicine.
• 6,121 children received school bags holding school supplies and textbooks.
• Over 200 medical and educational devices were distributed to schools and hospitals.
• 900 orphans received sustained financial support and about 270 orphaned children attended vocational training and capacity building courses.
• Sheep and hens were distributed to 455 families for income generation and sustenance. 
• 14,142 blankets and pullovers were disturbed to help fight Yemen’s harsh winters.
• Over 5,000 people now have daily access to clean drinking water via distribution of water tanks, filters, and buckets.
• 100 families received Water Tanks to allow safe and clean water storage.
• 500 families received water filters and buckets to ensure that they have access to clean water.

Food Security and Livelihoods

The Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation (YRRF) provides food baskets to families in need, reaching the places that are often inaccessible. Each food basket supports an average Yemeni family of 6 for one month. During the reporting period from January to December 2021, 37,749 families received food baskets across 18 Governorates and 35 districts— benefiting 226,494 people, including 151,297 children—benefited from these food baskets.  

YRRF also supports local charitable bakeries and kitchens. During major holidays such as Feast of the Sacrifice, YRRF distributed 2 or more kilograms of meat per family. In 2021, we reached 4,587 families—amounting to over 32,000 people.

Health

COVID-19 has exacerbated the already dire situation in Yemen. The pandemic continues to exacerbate Yemen’s underlying vulnerabilities as it comes on top conflict, economic collapse, hunger, disease, and displacement. YRRF provided COVID-19 reagents to all public health labs in Yemen.

Only about 50% of health services in Yemen are operational due to the war. Furthermore, import restrictions and the economic crisis have made medicine extremely expensive and hard to attain. In 2021, the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation provided eye medication to 2 centers for the visually impaired in Sana’a, reaching 520 children. In December, we donated 35 medical devices to the Altahali Society for Disabled Girls and 5 boxes of medical equipment to the Alamal Mental Health Hospital. We also gave financial support to 67 families so they could procure essential health services and medicine. 

Education

The Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation aims to support Yemeni children by distributing school supplies and school bags to families who cannot afford them. This includes printed textbooks, as many families cannot afford to print them. Through our volunteers and partners in the field, YRRF reached 6,121 children in regions ranging from the highlands of Hajjah and the seashores of Hudaydah to Al-Jawf and Saada areas that are experiencing active fighting. 

Between August and November, YRRF expanded its response to the need for educational support by donating 58 devices to a school for children with disabilities and 121 devices to a new school for gifted girls. In December, we donated a 65-inch smart-board to the High Institute of Health Science for use in educational classes. 

Orphan Support

The Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation’s Orphans Project provides sustainable support for over 900 orphans less than 18 years of age across Yemen. This allows families to access minimum basic needs, such as food, shelter, education for the children, and healthcare. Without this support, these families would be homeless and struggling to feed their members as many have lost their sole provider.

In 2021, YRRF began vocational training and capacity building initiatives to orphaned children preparing them for jobs after high school or increasing their chances of university acceptance. Classes began in the first quarter of the year, where 25 older children learned basic computer skills. More were added in the following months on cell phone repair; solar panel installation, maintenance, and repair; and attaining an international computer license. A workshop on women’s empowerment was also held. In sum, 268 children benefited from these courses.   

Income-Generation 

The war has exacerbated food prices for a country that imports more than three-quarters of its food needs. Protein food sources have been especially affected, which heavily impact the poor and vulnerable. YRRF has multiple projects that aim to enable poor and vulnerable families in Yemen to generate income in a sustainable way in order to improve their food security, self-reliance, and dignity in a time of severe deprivation. In 2021, YRRF distributed sheep and hens to 155 families and 300 families, respectively. This livestock serves as a source of protein, nourishment, and income to families in need.

Winter Clothing 

There are now over 4 million internally displaced people in Yemen, most of whom lack protection against severe temperatures that can reach as low as –6°C. The Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation distributes winter blankets and clothing to families and children who are not able to purchase their own. In 2021, we distributed a total of 14,142 blankets and pullovers to families and children in need. 

Water Projects

About 18 million people in Yemen lack access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. This puts them at risk of contracting water-borne diseases, such as cholera. YRRF provides safe and clean drinking water to neighborhoods daily to ensure the health of families and children. In total, we reached 13 neighborhoods across Yemen, helping over 5,000 people daily. YRRF also provided 100 water tanks to families in a mountainous area in Taiz so to allow for safe and clean storage of water. Finally, we distributed 500 water filters and 100 buckets to families in Saada to ensure access to clean water, as the community water system was damaged by airstrikes.

 Thanks for supporting our aid efforts in 2021

The period between August to October continued to be a challenging few months for Yemen. As the humanitarian crisis worsened leading to famine and extreme poverty, the value of the Yemeni rial continued to plummet and increasing fuel prices led to higher food prices and transportation costs. The need for assistance is immense and YRRF received many requests for support. 

During these three months, we continued to reach more people with essential aid. While maintaining our projects such as distributing food baskets and supporting orphans, we found successes in a few more areas: reaching schools and teachers, supporting individuals with physical disabilities, and providing aid to new areas that are difficult to access. 

Distributing food baskets

Between August and October, we distributed 9,602 food baskets across Yemen including Amanat Alasemah, Sana’a, Taiz, Ibb, Hodeidah, Aden, Lahj, Saada, Almahweet, Hajjah, and more. These reached over 57,612 individuals throughout the country. 

Providing financial support and vocational training to orphans

In 2019, it was found that approximately 1.2 million Yemeni children were orphaned as a result of the war. Less than 5% of these children have been sponsored. 

Our orphan support projects provide families caring for orphans under 18 years of age with funds that they use for essential needs such as food, shelter, education, and healthcare. Without this support, many of these families would be struggling to feed their members as they have lost their sole providers. 

From August to October, we provided monthly financial support to about 800 orphans. We also continued our training and capacity building initiatives and started new training serving 185 trainees in Sana’a, Dhamar, Al-Hodediah, and Taiz; the solar panel maintenance course ran through August, and the mobile maintenance course that concluded in September. An international computer license course launched in September for 30 orphans in Hadramot Tareem.

Income generation projects 

Our income generating projects aim to help families become self-reliant when almost three-quarters of Yemenis are now living in poverty and over 50% are experiencing food insecurity. Between August and October, we supported 206 families with income generation projects, including the distribution of 3 sheep each to 196 households in Ibb, Raymah, Al-hodeidiah, Al-Mahweet and Al-Baydha. In Saada, we trained 20 women on making accessories.

Providing medical assistance

A large part of the Yemeni population is unable to secure medicines or money necessary to receive medical treatment due to the ongoing war and humanitarian and economic crises. Import restrictions have also made medicine scarce and extremely expensive, if available. We provided medical support to 20 families and financial support to 11 families between August and October.  We also provided medicine to the centers for the visually impaired. 

Providing access to clean water

Around 60% of the Yemeni population do not have access to clean water, sanitation, or hygiene assistance. Without access to these essential services, Yemenis face a higher risk of contracting water-borne diseases. During these three months, we continued our water projects from June— supplying 9 neighborhoods with water tanks and water trucks daily— which reach an estimated 1,500 per day.  

Distributing school bags and supplies

Due to the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis, many Yemeni children have had to leave school. Educational materials are scarce and school infrastructure has been badly damaged, used in fighting, or converted into shelter for families. 

In September, we distributed 6000 school bags to Yemeni children covering 16 Governorates, including Hajjah, Taiz, Dhamar, Ibb, and Sana’a. The bags contain materials like school supplies and textbooks that will allow children to continue their studies. We also provided 70 schools in Hajjah with 2000 white Board Pens.

YRRF Founder and President visit to Yemen

In September, our founder and president, Dr. Aisha Jumaan travelled to Yemen and participated in some of the activities including food baskets distribution in Sana’a. Please check the video in the link below. 

Links:

• Aisha's visit to Yemen