Yemen Writing Research

The Republic of Yemen, located in the Arabian Peninsula, has been hit with an economic decline in the past decade affecting its citizens and contributing to the 24 million people in need of humanitarian aid. The country was dismayed by political and development challenges led by its former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and it quickly became one of the poorest countries. Here are five facts about the effect poverty has on Yemen: 

Yemens' health system has collapsed. Multiple diseases have been causing the mortality rate to increase, including Cholera infecting 2.5 million citizens. Since 2015, 25% of Yemeni's experienced kidney failure which is responsible for more deaths as people are not receiving dialysis treatments. According to the Polio Eradication Initiative, in 2022, Yemen experienced a Polio outbreak. The World Health Organization is currently monitoring the spike reported. 

Food insecurity is caused by the increased price of imported commodities. Yemen's food production was primarily based on agricultural efforts and importation but took a halt due to the war. Road and port facilities were not providing their services as intended causing a rippling effect of less water supply, food and agricultural employment. The interruption became permanent and malnutrition rates rose to the highest globally. 

Water is scarce and comes from underground. Yemen depends on the groundwater from nearby territories such as Wajid, Kohlan, and Tawilah where the land is made of sedimentary formations or mineral rocks that create shallow water aquifers. Rain provides little to no water, and the country is too poor to build desalination plants and provide healthy drinking water. 

Every two hours, a mother and six newborns die. Yemen only has the means to keep 51% of health facilities functioning and lacks medicines and equipment. Birthing services and emergency care are secondary as the primary medical attention focuses on disease. Ultimately, mothers and newborns are not receiving the medical attention needed to survive. 

Children's education is disrupted. Children are deprived of a classroom setting and cannot because most schools have been destroyed due to the war. With the lack of education and mental health support, more children become vulnerable as young girls enter relationships where domestic violence is involved and young boys enlist in armed groups. The education crisis has impacted 10.6 million school-age boys and girls in Yemen as of 2021. 

As the country remains in crisis, organizations are trying to provide relief to Yemen's crippling economy. Organizations such as PROJECT HOPE and the United Nations are currently trying to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus, fight hunger and implement water/ hygiene programs. Yemen has shown small leaps of improvement with foriegn aid but not enough to bring the country back to economic stability. 

https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/countries/middle-east/yemen?msclkid=727d96fc1e5312a0db96f5ec52d2270d&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Country-Specific&utm_term=unicef%20yemen&utm_content=Yemen

http://csulb.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/consciousness-water-narrative-flows-environmental/docview/1355756342/se-2

https://www.icrc.org/en/document/yemen-hidden-cost-war-thousands-kidney-dialysis-patients-risk-death

https://www.unicef.org/mena/reports/yemen-parenting-war-zone#:~:text=Mothers%20and%20babies%20are%20amongst%20the%20most%20highly,childbirth%2C%20are%20on%20the%20brink%20of%20total%20collapse.