What is happening in Yemen?
Yemen has the largest humanitarian crisis in the world with years of intense war and extreme famine. The biggest victims of the conflict have been the children of Yemen who have not only lost their education and families, but also their lives. The emergency situation in Yemen has only escalated with the rise of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now with the spreading of the Coronavirus, Yemen is facing even more challenges to equip themselves against the worsening situation. With only 50% of health organizations in work, Yemen is struggling to survive. This includes lacking essential supplies, water and clean sanitation. Of the hospitals still functioning, many are unable to provide face masks and gloves, as well as more expensive equipment such as ventilators and oxygen tanks. Yemen has a long history of conflict and war which can be traced back to the Civil War in 2014.
More detailed information can be found here.
Key statistics for understanding the heavy weight of the situation:
[According to data taken from UNICEF MENA]
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24 million people, approximately 80% of the population, are in need of aid with more than 1/2 of that population (approximately 12 million) being children.
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30,000 children die yearly from malnourishment as the biggest underlying cause.
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400,000 children on any given day are suffering from life-threatening malnutrition. 40% of which (400,000) are living directly in cities where the war is ongoing such as Hodeida.
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1/2 of children under the age of 5 are chronically malnourished.
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1.1 million pregnant or lactating women are anemic.
- Every 10 minutes, a child is dying from preventable diseases.
What can I do to help?
- Educate Yourself & Stay Woke
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Learning more is a great way to start! Understand the situation better and share with others! Sometimes making a difference in the world requires starting small and fighting your own ignorance through the power of education.
- Donate & Fundraise
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Donate to charities supporting Yemen. If you’re a broke student, you can even try donating by watching videos! Help fundraise by creating or adding to a justgivingpage and then share it with friends and family.
- Sign Petitions
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It is important that the government does more to help. Petitions can be a simple and effective way to make a difference so sign as many as you can! It only takes a few seconds but the difference it can make to someone’s life can last a lifetime!
- Protests
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Joining local or city protests can be a great way to get the message across to your government that they need to do more to help. If you choose to protest, please remember to stay safe by wearing a facemask and follow all the social distancing rules etc.
- Email your political representatives
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Lobby your local MP and put pressure on them to make a difference!
Go to https://yemencrisis.carrd.co/ for a full extensive list of helpful links and tools of ways you can help!
Sources:
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-29319423
- https://yemencrisis.carrd.co/
- https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/yemen-crisis