Humanitarian Relief for Yemen

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

Links:

• https://yemenfoundation.org/

January & February 2021 Accomplishments

We have been hard at work at the Yemen Foundation, and just wrapped up the second month of the year. The situation in Yemen remains dire, with famine rates increasing and COVID-19 continuing to sweep the country. Thanks to the support of donors like you, we were able to start off the year strong.

Humanitarian relief in Yemen

At the end of last year, the UN reported that areas of Yemen are now experiencing famine-like conditions and that the number of people experiencing food insecurity could increase from 3.6 million to 5 million in the first half of 2021. To aid in the fight against starvation and famine, we distributed food baskets with essential food items to 2,900 families, feeding 17,400 people for one month in areas such as Aljawf, Taiz, Sana’a, Lahj, Amran, Hodeida, and Hajjah.

Winter clothing and blankets distribution in Yemen

Winters in the highlands of Yemen are very cold — with temperatures dipping to below 0 °C (32.0 °F). In many areas, temperatures go to – 6 °C. Earlier this year a winter storm hit Yemen — with some parts of the county getting snow. Additionally, Yemen has about 3.6 Million internally displaced people with no protection against severe temperatures, and most families in need lack the funds to purchase what they need to stay warm in the winter. In January and February, we distributed winter clothing and blankets to 4,167 families and children in need.

Orphan support in Yemen

Providing much-needed financial support to orphans remains a high priority for us. There are an estimated 1.1 million orphaned children in Yemen who need financial support for essential items such as food, clothing, and school costs. In January and February, we supported 780 orphaned children, helping to provide them with essential items, housing, and medical services.

March & April 2021 Accomplishments

The last two months were difficult in Yemen, as COVID-19 continues to take its toll — on top of an existing famine and poverty crisis. During the months of March and April, we implemented a variety of activities to meet the many needs of the population. We continue to distribute food baskets and provide support to orphans.

Distributing food baskets in Yemen

In March, we reached 2,370 families with food baskets to sustain them for one month, serving 16,950 individuals throughout Yemen including, Sana’a, Hajjah, Aden, Lahj, Taiz, Hodeidah, Aljawf, Ibb, Dhamar, Albaydha, and others.

In April, we distributed 5,334 food baskets — serving over 37,000 people and sustaining them for one month. We distributed food baskets across the country — including multiple areas in each of the following governorates: Aden, Sana’a, Amran, Almahweet, Aljwf, Dhamar, Hodeidah, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahj, Raymah, Taiz, and more.

Providing financial support and Vocational training to orphans in Yemen

Roughly 1.1 million children in Yemen are orphaned and require financial support for essential items such as food, clothing, and school costs. In each of the months of March and April, we supported 606 orphaned children by providing them with financial support. We also supported 25 older orphans in vocational training Center for computer literacy that will help them use the computers proficiently.

Launching income generation projects and distributing meat

Yemen is experiencing the World’s Humanitarian Crisis, with more 50 percent of the population poverty rate.  A recent UN report indicated that over half of Yemen’s 30 million are experiencing food insecurity in 2021. In Zabid, Hodeidah, one of the poorest areas in Yemen, 10 families received sheep for income generation, and 121 internally displaced Families received meat.

Providing medical assistance to centers for the blind

More than 80% of Yemen’s 30 million population lacks food, fuel, drinking water and access to health care services, which makes it particularly vulnerable to diseases that can generally be cured or eradicated elsewhere in the world. Only half of the health care system is operational due to the war and majority of people lack access to medicine or funds to purchase medicine that is too expensive given the restrictions of imports and the economic ctisis.

We provided eye medication to 2 centers for the visually impaired in Sana’a serving 520 children, the medications will last them for one month .

Building water tanks and water trucking

18 million people in Yemen lack access to clean of water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance, placing them at higher risk of water borne diseases and outbreaks, including cholera. Access to clean and safe drinking water remains crucial for the health and survival of children and their families.

We provided 3 poor neighborhoods in Sana’a — with mostly internally displaced families and no water access — large water tanks and a commitment to provide daily clean water to 1,500 people.

Links:

• March and April Updates
• January and February Updates
• All Updates of YRRF work in Yemen

Flood assessment and humanitarian relief in Yemen

Yemen continues to face the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and an extremely high — 29% — mortality rate for COVID-19. In August, Yemen also faced torrential rains and extreme flooding, which damaged infrastructure, destroyed homes and shelters, and led to deaths and injuries. According to UN reports, an estimated 300,000 people lost their homes, livelihoods, income, belongings, and food.

According to early August 7, 2020 figures from Yemen’s Ministry of Health and Population, an estimated 131 people have died due to the floods and 125 were injured across northern governorates alone. An additional 106 homes and businesses were destroyed and another 156 were damaged. To assist flood-stricken areas our team:

• Conducted an assessment of the flood’s impact in Hodeida and Raemah governorates and identified the needs. The items identified as essential were food and shelter.
• Conducted an assessment of the needs of people whose homes were damaged by the rain in the Old City of Sana’a, the UNESCO heritage site, to ensure that our response takes into account the work that is being done by UNESCO, who is leading efforts to preserve the homes and the city. We plan to provide assistance that meets the need of the population.
• Provided monthly financial support to 400 orphans across the country, including Sana’a, Aden, Hodeida, Ibb, Taiz, Hajjah, and other areas.
• Continued our food distribution efforts across the country by providing meat to 5,596 families in honor of Eid, the feast of sacrifice. This is the only time in the year these families will have access to eat meat.

According to UN figures, an estimated 20 million people are food insecure, two-thirds of Yemenis are hungry, and nearly half do not know when they will eat their next meal. Yemeni families have been forced to reduce how much they eat and the quality of their meals.

To combat these challenges, in September we distributed food baskets with essential food items to 2,720 families across Yemen, including Hajja, Taiz, Aljawf, Dhamar, Sanaa, Raemah, Aden, Lahj, Saada, Radaa, Ibb, and Almahweet. In October 2020, we distributed food baskets to 2190 families.

 Income generation projects in Yemen

According to the UNDP, an estimated 79% of families in Yemen live under the poverty line. Through our ongoing income generation projects, we aim to provide families with a sustainable way to get nourishment and increase income.

• Provided 25 families with 2 sheeps each, totaling 50 as part of a sheep-raising income generation project in Jabal Sabr in Taiz. These sheep provide protein and nourishment to families in need, as well as income.
• Provided 30 families with 3 sheeps each, totaling 90 as part of a sheep-raising income generation project in Hodeida as well.
• Provided 50 families in Zabid, Hodeida with 2 sheep each, totaling 100 as part of a sheep-raising income generation project. These sheep provide protein and nourishment to families in need, as well as income.
• Provided 100 families in Hajja with 5 hens and one rooster each, totaling 500 as part of an egg-laying hens income generation project. These hens provide eggs, protein, and nourishment to families in need, as well as income through sales of extra eggs and offsprings. 

Thanks for supporting our aid efforts in Yemen