I am an American of Yemeni descent, and I live in New York City. My parents are from the city of Rada'a, in al-Bayda province. Back in 2017, I got married to my beloved wife, [who is a Yemeni citizen]. Back then, there was a land, air, and sea blockade on Yemen. This made it extremely hard to get in or out of the country; it took on average two or three days.
After the wedding, I went back to the US. But before I left, my wife notified me that she was pregnant. I was extremely happy, overwhelmed with joy, Alhumdullilah (Thanks be to God)!
My wife and I agreed that after our son's birth, we would meet in Egypt to register him for US citizenship and a passport, because unfortunately the US Embassy in Sana’a was closed. In the spring of 2019 we went to Egypt, and got all the paperwork done. We enjoyed our time in Egypt, it’s a beautiful country. But we had to depart in October 2019. I went back to the US, and my wife went to Yemen with our child. [She couldn’t come with me because] we were waiting for her appointment with US Citizenship and Immigration Services. In March 2020, we heard that we were about to get an appointment. But then COVID-19 hit, and the pandemic delayed the process.
After about a year of waiting, I decided to go to live in Yemen and live with my family until they gave us an appointment. So in January 2021, I left for Yemen. We got an appointment a month later.
We first had to go to Djibouti [for the meeting], and we stayed for a month. Thanks be to God we got all of my wife’s paperwork done, and we all went to the US. She [and my son] have been here ever since.
One thing I want to point out about Yemenis in general, from my experience – and I know I might be biased – is that Yemenis have big hearts. I ask God for things to get better in Yemen, better even than they were before the war. And I hope to go back soon.
The people planning and funding wars, devising aid plans, and trying to negotiate peace all too often fail to talk to the people living at the centre of it all.
Long before Gaza hit the headlines, the term “world’s worst humanitarian crisis” often referred to Yemen. Its devastating war and economic collapse, which began nine years ago, has left hundreds of thousands of people dead from violence, disease, starvation, and a lack of healthcare. Tens of millions more have been caught up in Yemen’s conflict, but its story has mostly been told by journalists, aid groups, and politicians. Until now.
What has it really been like to live through all this? To find out, The Yemen Listening Project asked Yemenis one question: “How has the war impacted your life?”
More than 100 Yemenis – from inside the country and across the world – answered. They sent emails and WhatsApp messages, voice notes, videos, poems, and pictures.
They include testimonies of loss, life in exile, and what it is like to live through bombing and ground battles. But there are also tales of love, family connection, and personal and professional persistence in the face of impossible-seeming obstacles.
When Yemen does make the news, it's too often reduced to faceless narratives. Close this window for a look into the lives behind the headlines, and to listen to Yemenis as they tell their stories, in their own words, in Arabic and English.
*The New Humanitarian cannot independently verify the details of each individual story. They have been edited for style, length, and clarity.
How did The Yemen Listening Project collect stories?
We asked people to submit their stories, in Arabic or English, on an online form, via email, Facebook, or a dedicated WhatsApp number. Once the submissions came in, we asked local journalists to gather stories from some parts of Yemen that were not yet well represented in the submissions.
Why wasn’t every story published?
Unfortunately, we did not have the space to publish every story, but we did read every entry.
Were the stories edited?
Stories were edited for style, length, and clarity. We did add a little context to some stories to help readers who are not familiar with Yemen’s war. Translations between languages are not always word for word.
What’s next for The Yemen Listening Project?
The Yemen Listening Project will be hosting online and in-person events about the project, about Yemen, and about inclusive journalism. Click here to receive updates.
I have an idea for my own listening project. Who should I contact?
Email yemenlistening@thenewhumanitarian.org with the subject line “listening project idea”. If we have enough takers, we will invite you to future workshops about what we have learned in the process of making The Yemen Listening Project, and help connect you with other people who are interested in the same things.Where can I learn more about Yemen?
Houthi rebels, officially called Ansar Allah, took over Yemen’s capital city of Sana’a in late 2014. In March 2015, a Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates-led coalition began bombing Houthi-controlled parts of the country, as part of a military campaign to support Yemen’s internationally recognised government.You can find all of The New Humanitarian’s coverage of Yemen’s war and humanitarian crisis here.
What is The New Humanitarian?
The New Humanitarian is a nonprofit newsroom that puts quality, independent journalism at the service of the millions of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world. We report from the heart of conflicts and disasters to inform prevention and response.
| Direction and editing: | Annie Slemrod |
| Project coordination: | Nuha al-Junaid |
| Translation: | Suha al-Junaid and Natakallam |
| Design and web development: | Marc Fehr |
| Audience production: | Whitney Patterson |
| Events: | Matt Crook |