World Bank: Yemenis Are Living a Bitter Struggle for Survival

Displaced people in Taiz, Yemen, receive UN aid (AFP)
Displaced people in Taiz, Yemen, receive UN aid (AFP)
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World Bank: Yemenis Are Living a Bitter Struggle for Survival

Displaced people in Taiz, Yemen, receive UN aid (AFP)
Displaced people in Taiz, Yemen, receive UN aid (AFP)

The lives of Yemeni people have been marked by hardship, uncertainty, and a bitter struggle for survival, with many resorting to extreme coping mechanisms, including reducing meal frequency since the outbreak of the civil war eight years ago, announced the World Bank.

In its new report, Voices from Yemen, the World Bank aims to shed light on Yemenis’ experiences, providing a human context for the quantitative data presented in 'Surviving in the Times of War.’

Over four years (2019-2022), the team conducted in-depth interviews with 156 individuals from different governorates across Yemen.

One of the themes that emerged from these interviews was the prevalence of food insecurity.

The report noted that to stretch limited resources, families have had to resort to extreme coping mechanisms, including reducing meal frequency, limiting the variety of food they consume, and prioritizing which family members eat.

A male respondent from al-Mahwit described the agonizing trade-offs his family is forced to make, as he and his wife would sometimes sleep without dinner.

He recalled that sometimes, when he has money for dinner, his wife tells him that the kids need milk, so he buys them milk, and they sleep without having dinner. “The kids are more important."

Children have also been hit hard in their education journeys. Schools are underfunded, teachers are scarce, and many families cannot afford to send their children to school.

A school principal from Hajjah depicts the dire state of education, saying his school has 1,050 students and has only six rooms, one of which is used as a residence for the teachers, one for the principal’s office, and the remaining four rooms for the classes.

He explained that the school has three shifts for different grades.

The World Bank warned that healthcare access is equally compromised, with many individuals forgoing medical care except in the most severe emergencies due to high costs and limited availability of services.

The report interviewed a health worker from Hodeidah who said that they used to offer services and medicine for free.

However, now they have to charge the patients and write them a prescription to buy medicine from pharmacies. People stopped coming because they can’t afford all that, given that commuting here will also cost them a lot.

It is even a hardship for staff who spend half of their salaries on transportation, according to the participant.

- Hardships

The report indicated that internally displaced Yemenis are grappling with an added layer of hardship.

They navigate a perilous journey to safety and struggle to secure the necessities for survival as they continue to face the threat of displacement, the erosion of their livelihoods, and rising living costs.

The World Bank asserted that the conflict and subsequent humanitarian response had disrupted the local economy, affecting all sectors, from education to healthcare.

It warned that displacement further compounds these challenges, affecting food availability, education access, health provision, and livelihood stability.

The Bank highlighted that these narratives reflect the scale of the suffering, as well as how the Yemeni people often have no other choice than to endure while turning to destructive coping strategies.

The report underscored the urgency for comprehensive and sustainable solutions to alleviate the tremendous hardships faced by Yemen's people.

It called upon policymakers, humanitarian actors, and the international community to move beyond short-term aid and towards interventions that restore more sustainable livelihoods, address the root causes of the crisis, and build a foundation for a more stable and prosperous Yemen.



Libya's Factions Make Progress in Central Bank Crisis Talks, Says UN Libya Mission

A view of the Central Bank of Libya in Tripoli, Libya, August 26, 2024. REUTERS/Aymen Sahli/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
A view of the Central Bank of Libya in Tripoli, Libya, August 26, 2024. REUTERS/Aymen Sahli/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Libya's Factions Make Progress in Central Bank Crisis Talks, Says UN Libya Mission

A view of the Central Bank of Libya in Tripoli, Libya, August 26, 2024. REUTERS/Aymen Sahli/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
A view of the Central Bank of Libya in Tripoli, Libya, August 26, 2024. REUTERS/Aymen Sahli/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Libya's rival factions made progress on talks over the central bank crisis and will continue discussions on Thursday to reach a final agreement, the UN Libya mission said on Wednesday, in a bid to defuse a crisis that has slashed oil output and exports.

"The participants of the two (legislative) chambers made progress in agreeing on the general principles governing the interim period leading to the appointment of a new governor and board of directors for the Central Bank," the United Nations Libya mission (UNSMIL) said in a statement.

According to Reuters, the meeting hosted by UNSMIL featured representatives from the Benghazi-based House of Representatives, the High Council of State and the Presidential Council, which are both based in Tripoli.

The standoff began last month when western Libyan factions moved to oust a veteran central bank governor, prompting eastern factions to declare a shutdown to all oil output.

Although Libya's two legislative bodies said last week they agreed to jointly appoint a central bank governor within 30 days, the situation remains fluid and uncertain.

Libyan oil exports fell around 81% last week, Kpler data showed on Wednesday, as the National Oil Corporation cancelled cargoes amid a crisis over control of Libya's central bank and oil revenue.