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Yemen’s ongoing conflict has led to one of the most severe food insecurity crises in the world, with women suffering the consequences. Millions are facing crisis levels of hunger, with women often bearing the brunt
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The UN has declared Yemen to be the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. Yemen’s status as the largest humanitarian crisis in the world is a dire situation that demands urgent and sustained action. The conflict has left more than 80 percent of the population without access to basic necessities such as food.
Women-led Households
To add to the issue, women, unmarried women, divorced and adolescent girls are among the most vulnerable. In a society like Yemen, men shield and protect the women from danger, abduction and sexual attacks. This crisis has created an easy environment for women to be exploited and violated of their dignity. Women are now forced to take the lead as the male guardian has either been killed or is fighting. The responsibility is now upon the women for collecting supplies for their families which makes them an easy target. Women have to walk up to three hours to collect their rations of basic food for survival and then have to make the same journey back, carrying both food and their children in their arms in the unbearable heat of over 45 degrees over barren land. Access to basic food is not always available and as a result women are the most malnourished and children are dying from starvation.
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4.5 million people displaced in Yemen are women and children
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The situation in Yemen is indeed catastrophic, with millions living in famine-like conditions and around six million people on the verge of famine. This crisis calls for immediate and sustained action to address both the urgent humanitarian needs and the long-term structural issues that contribute to such severe food insecurity.
Updates From The Ground
1. Escalating conflict with no end in sight
2. Severe famine and unemployment
3. Deadly diseases are widespread
4. Food and medication are lacking
5. Increasing rates of disabilities, women and children have lost limbs due to the war and land mines
6. More children are born with disabilities due to malnutrition and chemicals
The Rise In Prostitution
Yemen has been grappling with a severe economic crisis, many women are suffering as they cannot provide basic meals for their children, women are lucky to eat one meal a one, and many have resorted to begging in the streets of Yemen. To add, there is a humanitarian crisis, with millions of people in need of basic aid, the lack of has heightened the desperation. Combining the economic and humanitarian situation, some, particularly women turn to prostitution as a means of survival. The lack of livelihood opportunities and income often forces them into sex work.
Selling Of Children
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some families are forced to sell their children in return for a salary to be recruited for combat
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With the suffering of war, extreme poverty and famine, some families are forced to sell their children in return for a salary to be recruited for combat purposes because they are unable to provide living necessities, young girls are sold to take part in armed operations or to marry fighters. Some children are as young as 8 years old who are exploited for smuggling purposes. More common are child marriages which is seen as a way out of poverty, child marriage is a financial transaction and is decided based on short-term economic reasons, underage girls are married off for a few hundred dollars.
What We Are Doing:
To combat the sex for aid, exploitation of these vulnerable women and the pressure women face for survival, Forgotten Women focuses on delivering ‘Safe Aid’ which focuses on delivering aid exclusively through female aid workers, thereby mitigating the risks of exploitation and creating a safer environment for those in need.
”Sex for aid and sexual exploitation should not and will not be tolerated, we are here to serve those in need and in the same breath protect those who we serve.” Forgotten Women Team
In the midst of the dire humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where families are grappling with starvation, conflict, and economic collapse, your support is crucial. Forgotten Women is committed to making a difference through our Safe Aid initiative, which ensures that aid is delivered by women, for women. This approach not only enhances the safety and dignity of aid recipients but also addresses the urgent needs.
