By Christoph Lubczyk | Project Leader
On March 26 of this year, the war in Yemen
marked its tenth anniversary. The situation:
More than 21 million people depend on humanitarian
aid. They are exhausted, desperate, and often
traumatized. For many Yemeni families, basic
needs such as access to food, clean water,
education, and security remain unattainable.
Head of Aktion Deutschland Hilft´s long-standing
partner organization Human Needs Development, tells
us the story of Amani, who was born shortly before the
war began. We want to share it with you. The HND team
met Amani during a visit to Sanaa, where countless
displaced families like theirs struggle daily.
As the war in Yemen enters its eleventh year, stories
like Amani's remind us that behind every statistic is
a child with a name, a face, and a future who deserves
to be saved.
In 2014, little Amani was born in a modest home in the
Haifan district of Taiz Governorate, Yemen. Her early
days were filled with warmth, love, and the innocent
laughter of childhood. The family lived peacefully,
unaware that this tranquility would soon be shattered
and that Amani's young life would be defined not by
play and learning, but by survival in the midst of war.
When the war broke out in March 2015, Amani was not even
a year old. She doesn't remember the sounds of the bombs
or the fear in her parents' eyes, but her world changed
irrevocably. The airstrikes and shelling of her village
forced her family to flee their home and seek safety. The
journey to Sana'a was long and painful. Their hearts were
heavy with loss, and their hope for a normal life faded
with each passing day.
In Sana'a, they found no real refuge, only a small, dark
room in a dilapidated corner of the city. This room has no
windows and yet, for her and her family of six, this tiny
space is everything. It's where they stay, sleep, and cook,
as the family can't afford the rent for an apartment or house.
Amani's mother had long suffered from high blood pressure,
but due to extreme poverty, she had no access to adequate
medical care. Without regular medication, her condition
worsened. One night, she suffered a severe stroke that left
her partially paralyzed. Unable to move or care for her
children, she became bedridden. The family's life became
increasingly grim, burdened by illness, poverty, and
hopelessness.
Amani's right to education was also taken away. She was
supposed to start school with her peers, but displacement
and harsh living conditions delayed her enrollment by two
years. Now in second grade, she's struggling to catch up
while simultaneously managing survival tasks no child
should have to bear.
Instead of preparing for school or playing, Amani sets out
every morning: she walks one and a half kilometers to fetch
water from public sources, carrying heavy containers on her
small head. Several times a day, she sets out to provide
water for her family. She knows no one else can help her.
Her mother is disabled, and her father is overwhelmed with
providing food.
Amani has little time to rest, study, or simply be a child.
Yet she endures with quiet strength. "I'm always tired, but
I want to help my mother because she can't move," she says,
smiling despite the physical and emotional burden she bears.
Amani's story is not unique. Amani is one of millions of
Yemeni children whose childhood was stolen by war,
displacement, and poverty. With each passing day, their
dreams of education, dignity, and peace become more
unattainable. But they continue to dream. And every bit of
support Amani and her family receive gives her a
little more hope.
Thank you for your donation!
By Christoph Lubczyk | Project Leader
By Christoph Lubczyk | Project Leader
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