When the war began, we thought that everything was over. But the truth is that a new chapter lives had just begun.
My family, including me and my five brothers and sisters, didn't have anything.. We didn’t own a house, and we needed income. So I decided to study whatever was most likely to get me a job, and I finished my education in 2017. I didn’t wait for an international organisation to help me, or for aid, because in Yemen that only goes to people with connections. Instead, I found a job – and a visa – to work for a friend of my father’s in Saudi Arabia.
Getting there wasn’t easy. It was my first time leaving Yemen, and when it was time, all of the exits from Yemen were closed, except a shipping port. A local leader helped mediate my passage, and a transit visa through Amman. I put my trust in him, and when I got permission to leave I felt like I owned the world. I was on this path for a reason: to support my family.
I didn’t have any money, but at the port in Amman I was lucky enough to meet someone with a kind heart. He rented a car for both of us, and told me to get in. I could pay him back later. I got to the airport with time to spare before my night flight. I met another stranger there, who asked me where in Yemen I was from. I told him that I'm from al-Mahwit province, in the [Houthi-controlled] north. He was from Shabwah, in the [government-controlled] south. We went to dinner, and he insisted on paying the bill. I had nothing, and was so grateful. Then he booked a hotel where we could rest, but I felt ashamed that I couldn’t afford to chip in. The Prophet Mohammed spoke the truth when he said that Yemenis have “the gentlest and softest of hearts."That night, we headed to the airport together. Both of us were going to Riyadh, and when we arrived my fathers’ friend had sent someone with money to pay the kind stranger back. Together we went to visit a friend of mine, and I was pleased to tell the stranger that he was now my guest
It took effort and hard work, but I made enough to get married, and build a house. My wife now lives with me. I paid for my siblings’ education, and I am a partner in the business where I work. The war was not the end, after all.
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 |