Cash assistance supporting the lives of displaced families in Yemen

The life of Fatima, a 40-year-old mother of 11 children, took a devastating turn after her whole family was forced to flee amid escalating military clashes in her hometown in Al-Dhale’e, Yemen, six years ago.

“They were shooting at houses using missiles, and the houses were shaking. So, we decided to flee. We sold our sheep and other livestock to escape from the conflict zone,” said Fatima who moved from one place to another before finally settling in the Al-Shaab IDP site in Aden.

But their life in Aden was not easy. All her family members, including the 11 children, sleep in a tiny room in sweltering temperatures and cannot afford adequate meals. Her husband has a disability, and their livelihoods depend on Fatima and her children who go out to collect cans and metals to earn cash.

“The displacement exhausted and humiliated us. We have no (reliable) source of income,” said Fatima, who usually eats one meal a day to save loaves of bread for her children. Fatima as well as Ismail, her youngest son aged three, have suffered malnutrition.

Fatima is one of millions of Yemenis pushed to the brink amid the ongoing conflict spanning nearly 10 years. An economic collapse, lack of basic socioeconomic services and poverty are taking a heavy toll on vulnerable families.

Across the country, 4.5 million people are displaced and more than 80 per cent of the population lives in poverty. The economic setback slashed household incomes and resulted in food insecurity, malnutrition, and the lack of access to health, water, protection and education services. 

To meet the dire needs of the most vulnerable families, UNICEF, funded by the World Bank is providing unconditional cash assistance to more than 1.43 million households, or over 9.2 million people, who are considered some of the poorest and the most vulnerable. This includes families headed by females or with people with disabilities, and the cash assistance is often the only source of income for such families receiving the payment.

In late September, a payment agent visited Fatima to provide cash assistance, a lifeline for her family hanging by a thread.

“After we receive the money, we buy sugar, tea, etc., and go home to make bread for the children. We bake bread in a wood-fired oven and make tea. We also buy potatoes and tomatoes to eat,”

said Fatima.

Although it is not enough to cover the entire needs of her large family, it has helped her family from slipping into the worst situation, said Fatima, noting that she has also used the cash for public transportation costs for her children to go to school.

“I am thankful for this assistance,” she said, adding, “I myself had no chance to study and I used to only take care of cows and sheep. Even though we are poor, I remain hopeful and we want my children to study.”