Would you buy medicine for your little girl and go without food tomorrow? Would you beg for peoples leftovers if you didnt know when youd eat again? Would you let your little boy miss school so he could find food for his family? This is not a choice, this is a tragedy. But its also a brutal reality for families in Yemen right now.
With the ongoing conflict in Yemen already one of the poorest countries in the region tens of thousands of lives have been lost and over 20 million people dont know where their next meal will come from. A country crippled by conflict is sadly now on the brink of famine.
With families facing ongoing armed conflict, displacement, disease and economic decline, an estimated 24 million people are now in need of humanitarian aid to survive a figure so high that it is in fact the highest across the globe.
Families and communities have been torn apart and left without even the most basic of living essentials:
- 19.7 million people need basic healthcare
- Almost 18 million people are in need of water and sanitation facilities
- Over 3 million people have been left displaced by conflict
On the ground in Yemen, the situation is dire and things are getting worse each and every day.
Islamic Relief is currently on the ground in 17 of the countrys 22 governorates, delivering aid to many hard-to-reach areas. Our country office is in the capital, Sanaa, and we have eight sub-offices in Dhamar, Amran, Aden, Taiz, Hodeida, Saada, Maarib and Rymah.
Our teams are providing essential food aid to families at risk of famine and facing extensive food insecurity.
Sami Jassar, who works for Islamic Relief in Yemen, explains:
Since March 2015 the situation has got worse essential goods, such as food, have more than doubled in price
For men, women and children across the country, finding their next meal is a growing challenge.
Through our emergency appeal, were working to save lives across Yemen. Islamic Relief is distributing food across a wide area and providing food to more than 2.5 million people. Weve also equipped 21 hospitals and clinics across the country to support doctors and nurses working to treat wounded, sick and malnourished people. We have also been working to support children through child protection and psycho-social support activities.
In light of the impending famine, were continuing to distribute food packs and essential food vouchers to provide critical aid to families in need. However, we need your help to reach as many people as possible and widen our response.
£26 could provide specialised nutrition to a malnourished person
£56 could provide a family with water for one month
£150 could feed a family for one month
* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.
