Yemen is now running on its seventh year of conflict as it marked its sixth year anniversary on March 26. Yemenis had no idea they were heading for the costliest and vicious turmoil that same day in 2015.

Despite the country experiencing several military interventions and civil wars in the past, what the people of Yemen are going through now is uncomparable—the ongoing war has caused more than 233,000 lives, which include 131,000 from indirect causes like lack of health assistance and food insecurity.

Furthermore, there are over 20 million Yemenis who are experiencing starvation with 10 million facing the risk of famine.

Deteriorating Situation at the Sixth-Year of Yemen Conflict

As the devastating conflict turned six years, it is still running in full force. The recent military escalations between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition, this has contributed to the turbulent humanitarian crisis that is considered at the worst in modern history—which is expected to continuously deepen in the coming months or years.

The humanitarian situation in Yemen, on the other hand, is in a dire situation, with 80% of its population is experiencing food scarcity—these starved and suffering people don’t even know where to get their next meal.

Unemployment is rife while 75% of the total population is in need of healthcare assistance. However, only 50% of medical facilities fully functioning. This situation can lead children, pregnant women, and elderly people at a higher risk of acquiring diseases.

Food Crisis and the Depleting Healthcare System

Over 40% of the Yemen population are at risk of starvation, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the situation a “death sentence” on Yemenis as more than 400,000 children under the age of five are facing death due to malnutrition.

Photos of Yemeni children and babies—emaciated, with a blank stare, and ribs exposed have been posted on different social media platforms in hopes to raise awareness and funds to help alleviate their current situation.

However, since the start of the seven-year running conflict, local and international humanitarian aid organizations are facing hurdles and challenges in providing assistance to the people. The Houthis in control of the northern part of the country who swept into Sanaa in 2014, have been accused of stealing and selling aid on the black market.

Moreover, humanitarian funding is currently standing at less than half of what is required to save the people of Yemen from further suffering. In Yemen, two in three people are in dire need of help to survive.

David Gressly, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, emphasized that Yemenis are in urgent need of aid to fight off hunger and have access to healthcare services with high hopes that they will be able to keep their resilience and dignity.

Yemenis Looking at Famine in the Eye

Millions of people in Yemen are facing famine unless the rest of the world takes urgent action, this is according to the World Food Programme (WFP). David Beasly, WPF’s executive director, has stated that there are nearly 50,000 Yemenis already living in a famine-like condition, while over 5 million people are a few steps away from it.

The classification of famine in Yemen would be difficult to determine because of the heavy burden of evidence needed. A proof that 20% of Yemeni households are facing severe food insecurity, 30% of children are suffering from acute malnutrition, and two out of 10,000 people are dying daily due to starvation is required.

Conflict zones have made it difficult to gather data because communications are disrupted, humanitarian access is restricted, and communities are displaced. Therefore, locking down the facts is a huge problem to address.

A more pressing issue is the impending catastrophe in Yemen, its current humanitarian crisis is the largest in the world with over 20.7 million including 11.3 million children are needing immediate assistance, to further this, a report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said that the conflict has already set back human development in the country by 21 years.

Ceasefire Efforts

The efforts of confirming a ceasefire, on the other hand, are still unclear. A discussion about restoring peace was held between the United Nations (UN) envoy Martin Griffiths and Huthi official Mohammed Abdelsalam. It also included the request to ease restrictions on Hodeida, which is the gateway of food, humanitarian aid, and fuel entering Yemen.

With immediate solution at a far sight, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA has lamented the consequences of the seven-year running war in Yemen. The country has become a no man’s land, the immeasurable death and suffering it has caused the people is unimaginable.

Millions of Yemenis are starving due to the war and the famine is now being considered man-made. The probable solution to help completely stave off starvation is an immediate ceasefire—but both parties see no purpose in it.

Humanity for Relief & Development: Advocating for Change

We at Humanity for Relief and Development (HRD) are on a mission to improve the lives of the people and families affected by the conflict in Yemen.

We have come up with sustainable projects that lead to a tangible result, providing positive results to Yemeni lives. Our initial project, which we call Mercy Bakery ensures that everyone in Yemen will not sleep or wake up with empty stomachs.

By providing nutritious loaves of bread every day to Yemeni families, we can help alleviate hunger and starvation—and prevent famine from consuming innocent lives. We are continuously working with local governments and residents to procure supplies and distribute them to those who are left with no hope.

Our projects are focused on their basic needs like food, shelter, medicine, and financial assistance. Through these projects, we’ll be able to reach out to every Yemeni individual and rekindle their hope and believe that a brighter future is awaiting them.

However, we cannot do this alone and we need your urgent help. As the war continues to worsen, we are not giving up on every Yemeni life. Our humble beginnings have led us to help families in Yemen by providing them a total of 5,256,000 pieces of bread in a year.

But we need your help too, you can learn more about our projects by reaching out to our team today.