How identity cards are changing the lives of displaced Yemenis
Noor Al-deen left Taiz in early 2020 when the situation became unbearable. He did not take any money or clothes with him. He only cared about saving the lives of his family members. "It was a very difficult road," he recalls. "My family members and I were scared because we were not sure what awaited us." Along the way, they faced several checkpoints where they were asked for identity (ID) cards and they were interrogated when they could not present one.
When he and his family arrived in Tur Al-Baha, they found a crowded camp of other displaced people facing the same difficult circumstances. "It was really hard as we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere with nothing as we left everything back home," he said.
Noor Al-deen is a hard-working man who is responsible for providing the basic needs of his family. He has been on the lookout for jobs to make a living, but it was not easy. Everywhere he went, he was asked for an ID card as a job requirement, but he did not have one. He lost his ID card when he fled the conflict. He was stuck with few opportunities at his disposal. Also, he could not move outside Lahj without an ID card.
One day, he was riding his bicycle to go to a nearby mountainous area, hoping to find some work there. However, this led to an unfortunate accident.
"I was hit by a truck and my shoulder and leg were broken," he shares. Suddenly, he found himself disabled and unable to handle his family matters.
He thought that the only solution was to seek help from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) while he recovered from his surgery, the costs of which someone had kindly paid for. But even NGOs aid require an ID card for receiving cash assistance. "A lot of help was coming from an NGO and a lot of internally displaced people in the camp benefitted from it except me and 52 other people," he explains.
Those 52 people and Noor Al-deen had no ID cards, a requirement specifically for cash assistance from the NGO. Noor Al-deen was was faced with a dilemma. He had no ID card to enable him to receive cash assistance and no cash to apply for a new ID card, which takes several months.
NRC has been helping displaced people in Al-Sharair camp where Noor Al-deen lives. With the support of European Union Humanitarian Aid, NRC issued urgent temporary ID cards for displaced people during Ramadan while the offices of the authorities responsible for issuing IDs were closed for the holiday. NRC managed to issue the ID cards in only 20 days. "I was surprised and happy when NRC came to distribute the IDs. They called my name, and I could not believe it," Noor remembers.
The people living in Al-Sharair camp were happy when they received their IDs as they can now benefit from the cash assistance from the NGO operating there. With the ID cards, people could also receive money transfers and register their kids at school. "I tried so many times to register my older kids at school, but they refused. Finally, I will succeed this year."
Noor Al-deen's story shows how identity documents can make a huge difference in the lives of displaced people. The possession of an ID card has given him the freedom to move about, and secure work, and given his children the opportunity to benefit from learning opportunities again. It also shows how NRC and European Union Humanitarian Aid are working together to provide holistic humanitarian assistance to those who need it most.