It’s hard to imagine having so little food that you don’t have the energy to express basic emotions — it would take extreme food insecurity to produce this outcome. However, this is the reality that many Yemeni people are facing, including the children.
Yemen is a country entrenched in conflict, which is affecting the economy in a massive way. Some 45% of Yemen’s population struggle with food insecurity, with many of these families even suffering from full-blown famine.
Why are Yemeni Families Having This Problem?
The conflict in Yemen has essentially destroyed its economy, leaving residents without jobs, benefits, or other forms of income to feed their families. The fighting within Yemen’s borders also leaves those that do have jobs to continue working without pay, especially healthcare workers and educators.
The Yemeni Riyal (currency) has dropped by half against the US dollar, making even basic needs unaffordable to most families. Major assistance is needed to provide food, clothing, and shelter for the people affected by this crisis, which was close to 20 million at last count (2021).
How Does This Affect Yemeni People?
The lack of food, healthcare, shelter and other basic needs that Yemen is facing leads to all sorts of crises. Malnourishment, disease, homelessness, and begging are all on the rise, while some are desperately resorting to dangerous and illegal occupations just to put food on the table.
Children that don’t receive proper nutrition in critical developmental stages are at risk of forming health issues as teenagers and adults, causing more stress on the country’s already taxed healthcare system.
Children are also more susceptible to childhood diseases due to lack of healthcare and malnutrition — something that could be avoided if the humanitarian aid that this country so desperately needs could be provided.
Conclusion
Considering the healthcare and technology advances we’ve seen in our modern times, there is no reason for any country to continue suffering in this way. Families should never have to worry about where their next meal will come from, let alone watch their children suffer.
Humanitarian aid is desperately needed in countries like Yemen. Providing assistance now may just help Yemeni people to find their way out of this dark time in their country’s history.
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