The Yemeni government is mobilizing international and regional support to end the Houthi threat

Women and girls displaced as a result of the recent Houthi escalation in Yemen face worsening humanitarian conditions, with a shortage of food, shelter, clothing, and personal hygiene supplies, and a decline in protection services, at a time when the needs of hundreds of thousands who were forced to flee their homes in search of safety are increasing.

With the number of displaced people exceeding 200,000 people, according to data contained in humanitarian reports, many families found themselves in hastily established shelter sites lacking basic needs. Families arrived without sufficient money or clothing, while some of their members were separated from relatives who were forced to remain in areas witnessing bombing and insecurity.

The repercussions of displacement are not limited to the loss of homes and sources of livelihood, but are multiplied for women and girls, who bear the burdens of providing food and caring for children in conditions that often lack the minimum level of privacy and security. Limited gender-based violence prevention and response services in newly affected areas also increases their vulnerability.

One meal

In one of the displacement sites in Abyan Governorate (east of Aden), the story of Samira, 30 years old and pregnant, summarizes part of the daily suffering faced by displaced women. The mother, who lives with her family of 18 people, only has a small amount of rice to feed everyone.

“This is all the food we have today for 18 people,” she says. "When it's over, I don't know what I'll feed my children."

She recounts that her children are constantly asking for food, while their father is unable to meet their needs due to the difficult situation, which puts the family before harsh choices in the absence of sufficient food.

She adds: “When there is not enough food, I eat less or sometimes I do not eat so that my children can get more.” I am also worried about my unborn child. There are days when I can only eat one meal.”

Samira's testimony reflects the additional burden that mothers bear during displacement, as they are forced to reduce their food rations to provide food for their children, even when they need adequate nutrition due to pregnancy or breastfeeding.

The suffering does not end at birth; Frania, who gave birth 11 days before her testimony was certified, says she was unable to obtain the nutritious food needed to restore her health and meet her newborn baby's needs.

The two certificates highlight the special nutritional needs of pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, who face difficulty in providing food for themselves and their children in light of the lack of aid and the high cost of living.

Lack of privacy and protection

The effects of food insecurity do not stop at hunger and malnutrition, but extend to increased pressures within families and deepening the vulnerability of women and girls in displacement sites.

According to relief organizations, the pressure resulting from the lack of food and resources can exacerbate tension within families, which may increase the risk of domestic violence, at a time when women and girls face difficulties in accessing protection services and specialized support.

In addition to the lack of food, displaced women live in shelters that lack privacy and security, which compounds their daily fears, especially during the night.

Khadija, 33 years old, who lives in one of the displacement sites in Abyan Governorate, says that her family did not leave their home in search of a better life, but rather because staying there had become unsafe.

Khadija and her family live in a temporary shelter that they share with another family, where a large number of people are crowded into a narrow space, with no barriers separating women and girls from the rest of the family members.

She explains, “There are a very large number of people in a very small space, and there is no way to divide the tent or create a special area for women and girls.”

The temperatures inside the tents make living conditions more difficult, as some families are forced to spend the night outdoors, in the absence of appropriate facilities that provide protection and privacy.

Khadija says: “I am afraid to sleep outside.” Women and girls stay together, while men stay close to us to protect us. But even with them, I don't feel safe. “I am constantly worried that if I sleep too deeply, my body might be exposed.”

She adds that she is still wearing the same clothes in which she left her home, in an image that reflects the extent of the shortage of basic needs faced by displaced families.

Khadija summarizes her suffering by saying: “We did not choose this life. “We just want a safe place to sleep, some privacy, and basic things that allow us to live in dignity.”

Yemeni Governor of Taiz, Nabil Shamsan, launched an urgent national appeal...

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