A DECADE OF HUNGER AND SUFFERING
Mahmoud* lay dazed, trapped under a heap of twisted metal and concrete. He struggled to think clearly—was this his home, or at least what was left of it? Where were his wife and four children? Were they in this prison of rubble with him? Or—grief washed over him—had they all been killed in the airstrike?
He tried to look around, seeing the broken remains of his home. Then he saw a bottle. Water! He reached for it, eager to clear his dust-caked throat. He took a drink, then fell unconscious.
Mahmoud was eventually rescued and reunited with his family, but he will carry scars from that day for the rest of his life. The bottle he had thought held water had actually contained a toxic paint thinner that left him blind.
Now, nine years later, this father in Yemen tries to face life with resilience, despite losing his home, his sight, and his job. But life isn’t easy. Mahmoud’s son was injured in an accident, resulting in a foot being amputated. This family of six is now forced to live on approximately $225 a year. A simple gift of food delivered by CAM contacts helped ease this family’s burdens.
What’s happening in Yemen?
March marked a decade since Yemen’s brutal civil war started. This country on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula has seen tension and power struggles for centuries. But in 2015, brewing unrest erupted into civil war between a militant group known as the Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Neighboring countries back opposing sides, making the war deeply complicated.
Fragile hopes of peace in Yemen have come with ceasefires, periods of relative calm, and truces, but none of these have brought a resolution. And since the Israel/Hamas conflict broke out in late 2023, tension and attacks have increased in the region. Today, Yemen is considered one of the least peaceful countries in the world.
Airstrikes and bullets may be the war’s most visible effects, but they aren’t the only marks it has left on Yemen. These years of conflict have crushed the country’s economy. In 2014, before the war broke out, Yemen was considered the world’s forty-first poorest country. Now it is listed as the seventh poorest. An estimated 4.8 million Yemenis are displaced, and most of these have been forced from their homes multiple times.
With few job opportunities for breadwinners, hunger and malnutrition are all too common. “I can’t bear to see my wife and children going hungry,” says one young father. He has tried everything he can think of to provide for his family, finally turning to collecting plastic from garbage bins and selling it. “Mostly, I can stand my empty stomach,” he continues, “but other days, I feel I’ve got to put something in it before I go home, so I’m not tempted to eat what’s there for [my family].”
Yemen’s needs can sometimes feel overwhelming, and we can by no means meet them all. However, we are thankful to be able to work through trusted contacts and distributors across Yemen. These people visit suffering families, hear their stories, and distribute food, cooking gas, water systems, clothing, kits, and other items.
One of the most important things a monthly delivery of food or a gift of clothes does is remind recipients they are not forgotten. “Praise be to God,” said one widowed mother after her family began receiving food, “we are no longer alone in our struggles.”
Our 2025 budget to provide food and water systems in Yemen is $2.5 million. If you would like to help in this work, your support will be greatly appreciated! From grateful recipients in this shattered country, we pass on words of thanks and blessing.
*Name changed to protect identity.
