Poverty and the Crisis in Yemen
According to UNICEF, more than 24 million people in Yemen are in need of humanitarian assistance. Data from the World Bank suggests that more than half the population is suffering from poverty.
Poverty is defined by many features, the most notable of which is the lack of ability to meet basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. This is different from relative poverty, which compares the economic status of other members of society (and in which people are claimed to be affected by poverty if they fall far below these standards); absolute poverty means that you cannot afford your basic needs to live. The World Food Program estimates that almost 80 percent of households found it hard to access basic services in Yemen. This has been built up through an economic crisis that has led people into severe economic instability. Exports have decreased or stopped entirely, and the currency continues to fluctuate along with inflation and food prices.
Meanwhile, facing the current pandemic is already difficult for countries with high GDPs and relative stability, facing it in Yemen is leading into dangerous territory. Other than having to face its current crisis as well as the looming locust population that is attacking food sources in the region, Yemen now also has to battle with a pandemic that even the richest countries have been unable to tackle. Hospitals, for example, are not able to operate generators during power cuts. Furthermore, living in poverty has devastating effects – especially for children. Children growing under poverty are at risk for behavioral problems, developmental delays, and chronic stress, not to mention low birth weights. For perspective, 22 percent of newborns weighed in a survey in Sanaa were between 700 and 2499 grams. In comparison, the average healthy newborn weight is somewhere around 3500 grams. Low birth weight is the third leading cause for the death of children in Yemen. Adding on to this, many also suffer from malnutrition and anemia. Almost half the country is on the brink of starvation.
Poverty is an issue that needs to be answered by more than simple theories and small organizations, it is an issue that needs to be answered and called on to be answered by those with the privilege of living outside of it, by those with the privilege of earning incomes that can save populations, and by the systems that allowed individuals to earn more than entire towns.
Poverty affects approximately 8 percent of the world’s population, estimated to rise to 9 percent because of the pandemic. Poverty is something you can witness in almost every nation, but the extents of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen… aren’t. The sanctions placed on the country, the war, as well as the worsening economy are all taking their toll on the Yemeni population. As long as the war continues and the conflict continues to escalate, the Yemeni people will continue to be affected by the actions – or lack thereof – of the fighting forces. Many organizations are attempting to alleviate the weight of the crisis off the backs of Yemenis, with varying degrees of success. Poverty is an issue that needs to be answered by more than simple theories and small organizations, it is an issue that needs to be answered and called on to be answered by those with the privilege of living outside of it, by those with the privilege of earning incomes that can save populations, and by the systems that allowed individuals to earn more than entire towns. The situation is heart-wrenching, it’s angering, it’s terrifying. Yemen is facing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis… and we need to talk about it.
Citations and sources for further reading:
AM;, Makki. “Risk Factors for Low Birth Weight in Sana'a City, Yemen.” Annals of Saudi Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2002, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17146255/.
“Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Locusts.” FAO Site, www.fao.org/ag/locusts/en/info/info/faq/index.html.
Ifpri.org, www.ifpri.org/publication/impacts-triple-global-crisis-growth-and-poverty-yemen.
Laub, Zachary, and Kali Robinson. “Yemen in Crisis.” Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, 2020, www.cfr.org/backgrounder/yemen-crisis.
“Overview.” World Bank, 2020, www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/overview.
“Overview.” World Bank, May 2020, www.worldbank.org/en/country/yemen/overview.
Project, Borgen. “The Effects of Protracted Conflict on Poverty in Yemen.” The Borgen Project, Borgen Project Https://Borgenproject.org/Wp-Content/Uploads/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.Jpg, 18 June 2020, borgenproject.org/poverty-in-yemen/.
World Bank. “Republic of Yemen.” World Bank, Apr. 2020, pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/604811554825494039/mpo-yem.pdf.
“Yemen Crisis.” UNICEF, 18 June 2020, www.unicef.org/emergencies/yemen-crisis.
“Yemen Unemployment Rate 1991-2020.” MacroTrends, www.macrotrends.net/countries/YEM/yemen/unemployment-rate.
“Yemen, Rep. .” Data, data.worldbank.org/country/yemen-rep.
“Yemen.” International Rescue Committee (IRC), www.rescue.org/country/yemen.
“Yemen.” Yemen Economy: Population, GDP, Inflation, Business, Trade, FDI, Corruption, www.heritage.org/index/country/yemen.
Yemen's Economic Update - April 2020. www.worldbank.org/en/country/yemen/publication/economic-update-april-2020.
