* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Yemen has suffered decades of conflict and political instability, as rival factions and terrorist groups have fought for influence and control over different areas of the country. The effects of this instability includes a chronically weak health care system and the highest rates of child malnutrition anywhere in the Middle East. International Medical Corps has maintained a permanent presence in Yemen since 2012. With support from EU Humanitarian Aid, it is providing primary and secondary healthcare, as well as emergency nutrition and water, hygiene and sanitation interventions for vulnerable people in the country.
By Daniel Nyabera, food security and livelihoods coordinator, International Medical Corps in Yemen.
The ongoing conflict in Yemen took everything from Mrs. Qarar: her home, her husband, even her hope. Today, a year after losing it all, she is the embodiment of overcoming adversity to rise up again, stronger than before.
In April 2015, a bomb hit the family home, killing Mrs. Qarar’s husband instantly and destroying her life as she knew it. With no initial thought but that of keeping her children safe, Mrs. Qarar fled to Al-Mosijeed village with her daughter and three sons to seek refuge in her mother-in-law’s home – a journey that took the family more than three hours on foot.
Upon arrival she was overwhelmed by loss. Now a widow, Mrs. Qarar had no belongings, no savings and no way to provide for her children. Struggling to adjust to her new life, she saw every hope and her children’s futures vanish. “We went from having everything to having nothing – I felt completely hopeless,” she says.
Al-Mosijeed village in Lahj, Yemen, hosts hundreds of families who like Mrs. Qarar have been forced to abandon their homes due to an increase in fighting. The Lahj Governorate has had widespread food gaps since before the crisis - and the influx of families from other areas has put further pressure on already limited resources.
To address the considerable food gaps in the region, International Medical Corps - with funding from the European Commission - is implementing emergency food programming targeted at conflict-affected communities in Lahj.
As part of this programme, International Medical Corps distributes food baskets consisting of wheat flour, vegetable oil, sugar, pulses, salt and rice to ensure that vulnerable households have access to essentials that make up a varied diet.
For Mrs. Qarar, the basket meant more than just a temporary source of nutrition for her and her children – it was the impetus to stand up and regain control of her own life. “I knew I couldn’t survive on assistance forever,” she said. “My husband isn’t here so I knew I had to rebuild my own life and learn how to take care of my children by myself.”
Receiving the food baskets gave Mrs. Qarar with the opportunity to start saving money; she no longer had to spend what little her brother managed to send her on food. She decided to start her own business breeding goats and chickens on a piece of land given to her by her mother-in-law. Every day, she got up early to take care of her farm. Soon, she was earning money selling eggs and milk.
“Mrs. Qarar is the definition of somebody who has lost everything but has not given up and decided to, despite everything, make a living for herself and her family,” said Noor Ali, Mrs. Qarar’s neighbour who owns a shop in the area and often buy’s eggs from Mrs. Qarar’s farm. “We are all so proud of her.”
A year later, Mrs. Qarar now thanks International Medical Corps and the European Commission for the assistance that has helped her become self-reliant once more. Her business is thriving and her children, who were malnourished a few months ago, are now back in school. “I no longer receive any money from my brother and I don’t have to count down the days until assistance arrives. I am no longer worried about feeding my children.”
