Life in Yemen

Yemen is located in the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. Bordering Saudi Arabia and Oman, the country was once known for its rich supplies of spices and coffee. Its capital city, Sanaa, is believed to be one of the oldest populated cities on earth.

Yemen is currently ranked 183 out of 191 countries and territories in the Human Development Index (HDI) and is suffering what’s been described as one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world. The country has been marred by conflict since 2014. Thousands of Yemeni people have been killed and millions displaced. Years of war have led to unimaginable suffering for both children and adults and the hostile environment has significantly hampered the distribution of aid to those who need it most.

Food insecurity remains an acute problem across the country with food consumption rates deteriorating at an “accelerating pace.” More than half of the population (15.5 million) has insufficient food consumption and this number is projected to increase. Food prices in Yemen continue to soar and malnutrition rates across the country for women and children are among the highest in the world.

The ongoing war has torn many children away from education and coercion into child labour can be a real threat. At least one in four schools have been destroyed, damaged or used for non-educational reasons. As a result, the number of children going through disruptions to their learning could reach 6 million.