A major problem for people like 75-year-old grandmother Sho’eya, who is from a neighbourhood near the capital city Sana’a, is a severe shortage of clean water.
“It has been almost a year since water was delivered to this neighbourhood,” said Sho’eya. “Due to the war in Yemen, all basic utilities such as water, electricity, cooking gas and petrol are now unavailable.”
“We can’t afford to buy water”
Sho’eya lives with her son, his wife and five grandchildren in a rented dilapidated two-roomed house. Each morning she has to embark on a gruelling journey in search of water.
“We can’t afford to buy water,” she said. “My only son lost his job like thousands of other Yemenis. We don’t have money to pay our rent, or even buy food.”
Since the conflict in Yemen escalated, the situation in the country has rapidly moved towards a humanitarian tragedy – 82% of the population need some form of humanitarian assistance.
Emergency response
The population within the Yemeni governorates of Aden, Taiz and Lahj experienced a severe water shortage following a total absence of fuel and electricity resulting from the conflict.
This interrupted the intermittent water supply, which requires fuel to pump up water out of wells and to the water tank trucks to deliver to consumers.
With your help, Islamic Relief launched an emergency response to these dire humanitarian needs. It is expected that by the end of this water project, 4,000 people in each of the three targeted governorates near Sana’a will have access to a sufficient life saving clean water supply for one month.
“I am really thankful that you were able to help bring water back to our community,” Sho’eya said. “We don’t have to suffer anymore. We don’t have to take on these long and tiring journeys to find clean water.”
Yemen in crisis
Yemen is a country in a dry and semi-arid region of the Middle East and already facing a severe water crisis due to high population and misguided use of water.
Under normal circumstances, the majority of the population in this region has limited access to safe and regular water supply, but this has worsened due to the conflict. Water poverty now affects 11 out of 22 governorates in Yemen.
We need your support to help more people like Sho’eya who are facing a daily struggle to find water. DONATE NOW
Millions of people around the world face a daily struggle to find clean water. Our #DryDays social media campaign will ask you to think about how difficult your life would be without access to water. On Fridays you’ll be able to take part in fun challenges, share thought-provoking content and learn more about this important cause. Use the hashtag #DryDays to help spread the message today.
(source: UN)