About the Situation
By the Numbers
More than 24,133,000 people live in Yemen
45% of the people in Yemen live below the poverty line
35%% of the population is unemployed
(Source: U.S. government)
Yemen—one of the oldest inhabited areas on Earth—is also one of the poorest and least developed countries in the Arab world. The country’s economy depends heavily upon its oil supply, but these resources are fast-depleting.
Nearly one in six people in Yemen are unemployed and nearly half of its 24 million people live in “unusually deep and severe” poverty, according to the United Nations:
- Yemen has the third highest rate of malnutrition in the world
- Nearly one-third of children in Yemen are severely stunted
- Almost half of the population lives on less than $2 a day
High illiteracy rates and a lack of education further stifle the Yemeni population from progress toward building better futures for themselves and their children.
In 2011, political turmoil turned the dire living conditions in Yemen even more desperate. Clashes between civilian protesters calling for governmental change and security forces resulted in hundreds of deaths. The violence has also left thousands of Yemenis with no place to go—thousands have been rendered homeless.
How Islamic Relief is Helping
Islamic ReliefTM has been working in Yemen in 1998, implementing seasonal Ramadan and Udhiyah/Qurbani food distributions. Islamic Relief registered its Yemen field office in 2003 to implement and oversee long-term development projects. The Islamic Relief teams have also responded to emergencies in the area to alleviate distress for people in the region.
Here are some current and recently completed programs in Yemen:
- Al-Selo water and health project
Relief teams constructed a new health center and rehabilitated two existing health centers in Al-Selo. All three centers, which will serve some 25,000 people in the area, were supplied with vital equipment. The project also improved access to safe drinking water for locals. - Emergency response
Islamic Relief launched an emergency campaign in 2011 to provide internally displaced Yemenis, victims of political turmoil, receive food, hygiene kits and more. - Water, health and environment program
Households in Al Farsha in the Tour Al Bahah district now have access to safe drinking water because of this Islamic Relief program, which is also serves to raise community awareness on health, hygiene and environmental issues. Some 7,000 people benefit from this initiative. - Orphan support
