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Oxfam in Yemen

Asma pulls water from the well in Al Fash village, Hays. Oxfam advocates for women's rights and works in remote rural areas like this to help improve access to basic services. Photo: Abbie Trayler-Smith

From our staff

Amel Alariqi, Information and Communication Officer

 My job mostly involves raising Oxfam's profile in Yemen. It allows me to interview people and feel their suffering, their patience and their determination to overcome their pain and survive. I'm proud that this position has allowed me to tell stories of individuals who feel invisible and voiceless, and whose suffering is very much a reflection of society as a whole.

I enjoy the fact that people in my country, particularly women, have remarkable determination to face a crisis. They don't look at themselves as victims. Instead, they adapt and try to create change, and find a solution that enables them to live a better life.


Full details of what Oxfam is doing in Yemen (PDF, 2.3MB)


Yemen crisis

Thousands of people in Yemen are facing a severe humanitarian crisis. Oxfam is providing support to some of the worst affected.

Yemen crisis

In 2010-11 Oxfam helped:

95,000
people in
Yemen

You can help

Oxfam's projects in countries like Yemen rely on your generosity. Donate now

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Snapshot of Oxfam in Yemen

Photo 1/10 photo by: Abbie Trayler-Smith

Life is hard for women in Yemen, especially those from poor rural areas. The lower status of females often means that girls are denied an education, and female literacy rates stand at a mere 40% compared with 80% for men. Oxfam helps fund schools like this one in Hays to help more girls get an education.

  • Life is hard for women in Yemen, especially those from poor rural areas. The lower status of females often means that girls are denied an education, and female literacy rates stand at a mere 40% compared with 80% for men. Oxfam helps fund schools like this one in Hays to help more girls get an education.
  • Improving access to health care is another important element of our work in Yemen. We have worked hard to improve women’s health, including: training over 130 midwives and female health workers and organising mobile health teams to reach rural families. Here, Oxfam trained midwife Maha cleans up a newborn baby during her shift at the Sayoun General hospital.
  • Forced early marriages for young girls like Ruqia (pictured) are a common occurence in Yemen. Oxfam works with local partners to raise awareness about the negative consequences of early marriage. We also lobby for changes in the law to create a minimum legal age for marriage and provide legal support to women in need.
  • Nearly 350,000 people have been displaced in northern Yemen since fighting erupted between government forces and Houthi rebels in August 2009 (stat May 2011). Our relief efforts include providing emergency water, sanitation and hygiene support to nearly 60,000 people who have been affected by the violence. Here, community members collect Oxfam 'bins' filled with hygiene equipment in Al Mazarakh camp.

The impact of our work

 The look I see in the faces of the women I give legal aid to gives me and my team motivation to work harder.


Huda Ahmed, Project Co-ordinator of Oxfam partner the Yemeni Women's Union