For 17 years, Amir has been watching military action destroying his country. After this time he managed to settle in Poland. He is currently based in Turkey completing his internship, where he deals with the Yemeni crisis every day. He has agreed to tell us about the situation in the conflict zone and bring closer the realities of war. The following text is based on the statement of our interlocutor:
Yemen, a country located at the very tip of the Arabian Peninsula, has been under war for several years. The fights are continued for a reason that has been spreading discord among people for centuries – who will take power in the state? The consequences of this conflict are tragic – the UN has declared Yemen the site of the largest humanitarian disaster and famine in the 21st century.
Statistics show that over 22 million Yemenis need humanitarian aid. As a result of the war, food, drinking water and basic medicines are constantly lacking. The level of education is falling down, as most schools have been temporarily adapted as shelters for refugees. According to UNICEF, up to 80% of Yemen’s population lives below the poverty line. Wanting to stay in the country and gain any livelihood, Yemenis capable of work (including youth and children) usually face only one solution – to go to the battlefield. Civilians who have not chosen the path to join the war ranks risk their lives with every exit on the street. They often become the target of an attack, because soldiers on both sides of the conflict seek shelter between them. As a result, military activities are paid for with the deaths of innocent people.
The future of the country is drawn in gray colors. Yemen’s political, social and economic situation has not been stable for over a century. As a result of ongoing fighting, blockades have been imposed on seaports and airports throughout the country. The population of 30 million is currently served by only two airports, and the number of daily flights does not exceed five.
The circumstances described above do not offer fruitful prospects to Yemen. The humanitarian situation is getting worse with each subsequent day of fighting. Even if we assume that the conflict will soon be resolved, before the outbreak of war Yemen was already one of the poorest countries in the world. Both the infrastructure and the situation of the health service and education sector require a huge amount of work, and each act of assistance is gratefully received. Volunteers from all over the world are involved in humanitarian activities, putting their health and lives at risk. Every day they prove that human empathy has more strength than a bullet.
