Ni'mah in Yemen: 'Women and children are fighting over water'

The humanitarian crisis in Yemen affects millions of people. There is a lack of everything: water, food, medical care and safety. Ni’mah Ali Sha’a, a mother of five daughters, lives in the village of Al-Sharaf, in Ibb governorate. There, she feels the impact of the conflict in every aspect of life. “Everyone is sick from hunger. We have no food.”

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14 May 2025

No income, no options

Ni’mah’s family has no stable income. Those who receive a salary can just about get by, but for people like her, there is no safety net. Sometimes she sells a goat to earn some money, but she can hardly make ends meet. “Everything is expensive. We simply can’t afford it. Even buying shoes for your child is impossible.”

Extreme hunger

Due to the shortage of food, many people in her village suffer from health problems. “We only eat to satisfy our hunger, not to nourish our body,” she says. Sometimes, the children are only given food later in the day, so they don’t go to bed on an empty stomach.

Illness is widespread in the village. There are people with disabilities, and others who have suffered strokes. But there is no money for medication or for adult diapers. Ni’mah continues to hope that someone will offer support for her daughters. “If they were men, they would go seek a living. But the women stay, and I try to find someone who will help them.”

Water shortage

In addition to the food shortage, clean drinking water is also scarce. Rainfall has failed, and wells are drying up. “Women and children are fighting over water,” Ni’mah says. "Just a while ago, I was trying to settle a fight between people who were fighting over water. There’s no water, no food, and none of the necessities we ask for."

Trust is disappearing

Yemen’s economic situation is devastating. Costs are rising, salaries go unpaid for months, and basic needs are unaffordable. “And if a child is ill, all money goes to medical care,” Ni’mah adds. “Who can afford this cost of living? How long can someone struggle?”

ZOA has been working in Yemen since August 2012. Our main focus is providing emergency aid that addresses hunger and thirst, both in the short and long term. We support displaced people, as well as the communities that host them. Our approach combines food security and livelihoods support with WASH and cash-based assistance. ZOA operates throughout the country - in both North and South Yemen - to ensure that people like Ni’mah are not forgotten.