“Our journey was dreadful. We did not know what our fate would be, where we were going or how we were going to live,” says Abdullah Haimi, 39, describing his family's forced flight to safety due to the conflict in Yemen.
Working together to help Yemenis in need
In May 2023, the fighting drew nearer to Abdullah’s hometown in Hodeidah’s At-Tuhayta district. Abdullah was driven to flee with his wife and children.
In a rush, they took only some clothes with them and walked many kilometres until they were clear of the fighting. Abdullah says that staying in their hometown spelled certain death for him and his family.
Along the way, Abdullah had many concerns about their future. How would they manage? Where would they live? These and many other questions raced through his mind.
In May 2023, the fighting drew nearer to Abdullah’s hometown in Hodeidah’s At-Tuhayta district. Abdullah was driven to flee with his wife and children.
In a rush, they took only some clothes with them and walked many kilometres until they were clear of the fighting. Abdullah says that staying in their hometown spelled certain death for him and his family.
Along the way, Abdullah had many concerns about their future. How would they manage? Where would they live? These and many other questions raced through his mind.
Eventually the family reached the Al-Jahber site for displaced families in Al-Khukhah, on Yemen’s west coast. Here, they were received by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) community committee members. The committee members helped the family settle in and set up their temporary tent.
Soon after, NRC referred the family to the International Organization for Migration and the Danish Refugee Council who provided an emergency shelter kit, blankets, mats and cash assistance to help the family cope.
“It would have been devastating without this assistance,” says Abdullah. “The previous, unstable tent was not going to last and we did not have anything to help us cope.”
Al-Jahber is close to the market where Abdullah goes daily to look for work as a labourer. However, making ends meet is still tough, and the family needs assistance to stand on its feet again. NRC is working hard to ensure all families receive the assistance they need, by offering support and coordinating with other humanitarian actors in the area.
“It’s true that the assistance is limited and doesn’t cover everything, but it’s distributed equally among all displaced people in the area without discrimination,” says Abdullah.
NRC has partnered with the Yemen Humanitarian Fund to deliver activities to help improve the lives of displaced people and ensure that they receive services in a safe and dignified manner.
More than half of Yemen’s population, 18.6 million people, need humanitarian assistance in 2024. With only 24 per cent of the humanitarian response plan covered, many continue to struggle to access basic services.
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