Aisha playing in a War Child child friendly space in Yemen.

8 things you might not know about Yemen

The crisis in Yemen has been deemed one of the worst in our lifetime. Here are 8 things you may want to know about the situation in Yemen.

1. Millions of people are displaced.

Since the fighting started, 4.3 million people have been internally displaced.

2. There's a humanitarian crisis.

80% of Yemini’s now live below the poverty line, and 50% of the population are facing imminent famine. 73 % of the population now rely on humanitarian assistance.  

3. Yemen is the poorest country in the Middle East.

Yemen is a country in Western Asia. It’s located on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula and is bordered on two sides by water (the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden).

4. Yemen is a place of religious importance and steeped in history.

According to the Bible, Noah knew it as “the land of milk and honey” and the Three Wise Men presented the infant Jesus with myrrh and frankincense from its mountains.

Some claim it is also the Queen of Sheba's home.

However, nowadays, it’s more known for crude oil and coffee production.

5. Yemen spiralled into civil war in 2014.

Sicne then, there has been constant fighting between various armed groups, supported by different foreign countries. 

6. Yemen has a young population

30% of Yemenis are under the age of 15, compared to around 18% in the UK. Children living in Yemen often have to leave their homes for safty, leaving them unsure of their futures. 

7. Yemen has the world's worst cholera outbreak.

The outbreak of the water-borne disease began in 2016, and still today the country lacks the sanitation infrastructure to stop its spread.  15.4 million people don’t have access to safe water.

8. Despite its own poverty, Yemen has faced an influx of migrants fleeing conflict.

Poverty and drought in the Horn of Africa - mostly Somalis and Ethiopians. In 2009, 74,000 arrived. Most arrive in small boats and many have drowned during the perilous Red Sea crossing.

The children of Yemen are paying a deadly price.

 

Our team have been working in Yemen since 2016, and we were the first international NGO to work there. Since then, we have delivered projects in Sana’a and in Aden, delivering cash relief, food and access to other life-saving essentials to children and their families who have lost their livelihoods as a result of ongoing conflict.

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We've been working in Yemen for 6 years, find out more.

Our work in Yemen