Support for children in Yemen goes a long way

From conflict to famine, growing up in Yemen, a country with one of the greatest humanitarian crises in the world, has had a huge impact on the lives of young people.

Every child’s story is unique but many children have one thing in common — they have hope for a better future. A future where they can grow big and strong, a future where can go to school and get a quality education, a future where they can return home and live in peace.

UNHCR and its supporters are there to help turn their hopes into a reality. Meet four children in Yemen who have faced devastating circumstances but are now safe and hopeful thanks to your support.

Reem

“I cried when I got the money because I was able to cover Reem’s medicine for one month,” Reem's mother says. “Before I got the cash I didn’t have any food in the house to feed my kids — not even a grain of rice.”

11-year-old Reem is an internally displaced Yemeni girl with a serious medical condition that requires regular medication. UNHCR and partners helped her mother with cash assistance which she used to buy medicine, pay off overdue rent and buy food for her four children.

This small assistance keeps Reem smiling, even during difficult times.

Mohannad

“We have no place to play. We can’t go out of the camp because we are afraid of shooting and bombing,” says Mohannad.

15-year-old Mohannad was displaced from Sana’a by conflict four years ago. He fled with his parents and four siblings to a hosting site in Marib. Mohannad is a member of the site’s community support committee and represents the youths’ needs. He explains some of the problems the children face in the camp.

“The camp is full of garbage. When I play with my friends we sometimes fall in the sewage. The school is very far and there are more than 100 children in the small classroom.”

But Mohannad dreams of change and success. When he grows up, he wants to become an IT engineer.

Shaima'a

Nine-year-old Shaima’a peeks out from the side of her house as she gets ready to leave for school.

Because of conflict in Yemen, Shaima’a is currently living with her family in a mud house. Her parents had to sell all their jewelry to get the money to build the house, which is located in a hosting site for internally displaced Yemeni people in Marib.

Though the transition has been difficult, the family is glad to have been able to stay together and to have found a safe place to live.

Ghareeb

7-year-old Ghareeb fled his home in Sa'ada with his two brothers and two sisters. They now share one tent in Kharif, a site for internally displaced Yemenis. Their living situation is challenging, but they grateful for the assistance they receive from UNHCR.

To mark the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of Ramadan, UNHCR distributed clothing and shoes to 350 children in the camp, including Ghareeb and his siblings. "I love to wear new clothes in Eid," says Ghareeb, excited about the small gift he has been given.

Here’s how you can keep helping…

Support from people like you has already had an important impact on children in Yemen, but the crisis continues and the need is great. You can help children like Reem, Mohannad, Shaima'a and Ghareeb by becoming USA for UNHCR’s newest monthly donor today.