With fierce armed clashes in various locations in Yemen, many communities have been forced to leave their homes and their lives behind seeking safer refuge elsewhere, becoming vulnerable internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Amwal Hassan is a story of struggle and suffering due to the ongoing war. The already vulnerable 22-year-old mother of two children (a 3-year-old boy, Najeeb, and an 18-month-old daughter, Sumayya) used to live on the generous assistance of people in the Al-Kadaha area. Besides her young children, Amwal cares for her sick elderly mother. Her father died 10 years ago, and her husband left her to care for the family after he lost his job. He constantly threatens to take the children away.

When armed clashes broke out in the Al-Kadaha area of Taiz – central Yemen – Amwal, her family and other villagers fled in search of safer refuge. They first arrived at the IDPs camp in the mountainous area of Jabal Habashi, but after three months armed clashes caught up with them and forced everyone to flee again – this time to the IDP camp in Jabal Zaid, Taiz governorate.

“We fled our homes with broken hearts. We ran in fear with no food and on foot. We had no money and no transportation, yet we had to keep moving from one place to another until we arrived here,” said Amwal with a longing voice. “That’s when our life got more miserable...”, she continued. “My mom became very sick with a swollen thyroid gland and my son had inflamed tonsils. Worse was my daughter got very sick and later diagnosed with osteoporosis (brittle and fragile bones) due to poor nutrition and now she can’t walk. She must undergo daily physical therapy treatment, so she may walk again one day. But I have no money to pay for the treatment!”, she added with a voice filled with pain.

There are no hospitals near the IDP camp where Amwal and her family live, so she makes a long, arduous journey of walking and taking a bus to the nearest hospital. “To get to my daughter’s treatment, it costs about YER 5,000 (about Euro 10) in addition to the treatment fees, which I don’t have. I often borrow the money”, she says.

To support vulnerable communities in Yemen, the Social Fund for Development (SFD) implements the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Social Protection for Community Resilience Project (SPCRP). The European Union (EU)-funded project targets war-affected communities with work opportunities to help them cope with, and provide for, their essential needs during these difficult times.

“We suffered a lot and almost lost hope before SFD started a cash-for-work project and supported us with work opportunities. We work on agricultural lands for monthly payments,” said Amwal. “The project helped almost all of the families in the camp. Some of us were even able to buy income generating assets like motorbikes and goats,” she added.

The cash-for-work project supported over 1,200 families, each of whom received 70 working days to help them provide for their essential needs. Additionally, it also helped reclaim more than 98,300 meters squared of agricultural lands, improving food security and sustained sources of income for many families.

“I’ve been working for four months to reclaim agricultural lands. The project helped me change my life and provide for the needs of my family. I was able to pay my debts and I can now also take my baby girl for her treatment sessions,” said Amwal with joy. “I hope to return home and to our peaceful life; I dream of seeing my child stand on her own. Hopefully the support will continue until we can go back to our homes,” she added.

***

The Social Protection for Community Resilience Project (SPCRP) is funded and supported by the European Union (EU) and implemented in partnership with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and The Social Fund for Development (SFD). The USD$28 million SPCRP aims to enhance the purchasing capacity of vulnerable communities while restoring community infrastructure and improving access to and delivery of key services through short-term employment, provision of solar energy equipment, rehabilitating healthcare facilities, and building the capacities of communities and local authorities.