Reports on Humanitarian Relief for Yemen

Project Report | Dec 16, 2021
August to October 2021 updates

By Aisha Jumaan | President

AlJirahi Hodeida

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.

Amanat Alasemah

Aljwaf

Links:

Aisha's visit to Yemen

Permalink

Aug 30, 2021
Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation Report May to July 2021

By Aisha Jumaan | President

Over the last three months, we have been hard at work on the ground in Yemen. The situation in the country remains dire on multiple fronts. First, the value of the Yemeni rial plummeted — pushing more Yemenis to the brink. Second, coronavirus continues to spread around the world, and Yemen is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world due to the war, now in its seventh year.

Between May and July, the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation implemented a number of activities — including distributing food baskets, providing financial support to orphans and families in need, supporting vocational training, empowering families with income generation projects, covering medical expenses for families in need, building water tanks and trucking clean water, and more.

Distributing food baskets in Yemen

Between May and July, we distributed food baskets to 11,211 families benefiting over 67,000 individuals, across over 30 cities in Yemen, including Aden, Radaa, Dhamar, Ibb, Taiz, Hadramout, Sana’a. These food baskets sustain families for one month at a time when over 75% of the population lives below the poverty line. We also provided support to 4 food banks feeding 5,000 people a day.

Providing financial support and vocational training to orphans in Yemen

The ongoing war in Yemen has left more than 1 million children without a 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.

Our orphan projects provide sustainable support for families caring for orphans less than 18 years of age across Yemen. Without this support, these families would be struggling to feed their members, as they have lost the sole provider for the family.

Between May and July, we provided financial support to an average of 696 orphans per month, and our orphans roaster is increasing.

We also offered vocational training to 58 orphans between the ages of 14-18 in several cities. The training included computer literacy, cell phones repairs, and solar panel installation, maintenance and repair. These topics have a good employment opportunities, preparing the children for potential job opportunities as they graduate from high school or increase their chances of being accepted at universities.

Launching income generation projects and distributing meat

In addition to distributing food baskets, another way we provide economic self reliance to families by increasing our income-generating projects. Between May and July, we distributed sheep and chicken to 95 families. During Eid Al-Adha festival, we distributed meat to 6500 families throughout Yemen. This is most likely, the only time these families have had meats in their homes the whole year.

Building water tanks to deliver clean water in Yemen

An estimated 18 million people in Yemen lack access to clean of water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance — making clean and safe drinking water crucial for the health and survival of children and their families and for preventing cholera. Between May and July, we provided 9 poor neighborhoods in Yemen with water tanks and truck water daily to these areas so that they can have access to clean water. An estimated 1500 persons benefit from our access to clean water projects per day.

Income Generation

Meat Distribution

Solar Panels Vocational Training

Computer vocational training for orphans

Links:

https://yemenfoundation.org/

Permalink

May 17, 2021
Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation Report

By Aisha Jumaan | President

Warm clothing at Center for visually impaired

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.