UAE aid pulls up Yemeni children from 4-year-old civil war

By Ahmed Lamloum

Since the outbreak of the four-year-old civil war of Yemen following the Houthis’ military coup against the legitimate authority in 2015, several International humanitarian organizations has sought helping Yemeni people, particularly the children, the most of the victims of the conflict.

Recently, the Emirates Red Crescent sent an emergency aid convoy with 1,500 food baskets and 1,500 food supplements for children to al-Azraq village, where people suffer severe shortage of basic needs.  The convoy was also accompanied by a medical team.

“The UAE works on saving the future of Yemen. Today’s children are tomorrow’s youth who will participate in building their country,” UAE journalist Omar al-Saadi told al-Marjie. The UAE provides Yemeni people a comprehensive assistance, he added.

Since 2015, the Emirates Red Crescent  has granted aid to yemen. In July 2018, the amount of aid increased to reach war-stricken city of al-Hudaydah and the western coast area.

Beside the humanitarian aid, the Emirates Red Crescent funded educational projects for the Yemeni children. Yemeni Minister of Education Abdullah Salem Lamlas has recently launched “School Uniforms and Bags” Project in five cities of Lahej, Abyan, Dhala and Taiz. The project is funded by the Emirates Red Crescent to ease the burden of the education tuitions on the Yemeni families.

“Children are usually the weakest link in any conflict, so focusing on them humanitarianly is very important,” said Mohssen al-Jabri, a Yemeni journalist.

Million of people suffer hungry and disease due to the Houthis over the years of this war, he told al-Marjie, saying “We hope those Houthis be destroyed soon.”

Moreover, local activists in Yemen provide all help they can. In Wadi al-Salami of Taiz city, Adel el Shorbagy has turned his house into a school for children, who were deprived from the education due to the ongoing war.

He told AFP that he hoped that the Yemeni authorities agree to announce his house a school officially.

More than 4 million children have no access to the schools, particularly in Houthi-controlled northern areas, according to the UNICEF. It was estimated that about 70 percent of the Yemeni children live with families under the line of poverty and the number of displaced children reached 2.9 million children.

“The humanitarian aid help improve the living, but the solution boils down to the return of the state and putting an end to the Houthis’ coup,” Hamza al-Kamal, a member of the National Dialogue Conference, told al-Margie.

“Since the Houthis’ coup, the Yemeni citizens live hard times. So, the military option is a must to face their (Houthis) rebellion,” he continued.