While a truce between the Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government was just announced, Yemen’s people are still in a humanitarian crisis with 23.7 million people in dire need. In fact, children make up most of that population with almost 13 million Yemeni children needing humanitarian aid. Our team works in the region to provide humanitarian aid to alleviate this, but we rely on your help. Here are 4 reasons you should donate to Yemen.
Lack of access to safe, clean water
A staggering 61% of Yemenis lack access to clean water. That translates to 19.5 million people without water. Eight years of conflict, underinvestment of infrastructure, and precious water resources being used to water cash crops has led to Yemenis being deprived of life’s basic building block. Lack of access to clean water has led to major health crises such as a cholera outbreak in October 2016. From this outbreak, more than 4,000 have died.
Children in Crisis
In Yemen, children are suffering the most. Since the conflict started, more than 10,000 children have been killed and more than 2 million children have been displaced. With no homes, they are extremely vulnerable to starvation and lack access to education. With schools damaged or destroyed and teachers dropping out of teaching, most children don’t have the ability to go to school. The amount of suffering and hardship that Yemeni children have faced is something no child should have to encounter.
Lack of food security
There has been a steep rise in food insecurity thanks to COVID-19 interrupting food supply chains, conflict-driven interrupted food chains with the Ukrainian war, and climate change. With nearly 50,000 people living in famine conditions in Yemen and more than 5 million people going hungry, Yemen is facing one of the worst food security crises in the world.
A climate crisis
A changing climate has threatened Yemen’s agriculture and ability to provide food for its people. Farmers have seen fertile land turn into desert wastelands due to deforestation to fuel cities.
As a community, we have a moral obligation to help the people of Yemen. Prophet Muhammad, on him be peace, said, “The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.”
Zakat Foundation of America has been on the ground in Yemen, helping its people through humanitarian programs such as food security, sustainable livelihoods, and more. The New York Times named Zakat Foundation of America as a charity that you can trust to help Yemenis. Donate to Yemen today.