Why is the World Silent on Yemen?
Photo of Yemen Coastline
Yemen
Known by the Ancients as “Arabia Felix” translated as Fortunate Arabia, Yemen is now one of the poorest countries in the world. The country sits at the edge of the Arabian Peninsula and is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the West, the Gulf of Adam to the South and the country of Oman to the East.
The Problem
Upon this writing, Yemen has been at war for the past four years… and no one is talking about it. Since 2015 warring factions have infiltrated the country, setup camps and have created a culture of unsustainable conflict for native inhabitants.
In 2018 the National Geographic website published an article that stated this:
“After three years of fighting, the numbers are stunning: In a nation of nearly 29 million, 22 million Yemenis are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN. Two million have been displaced. At least 10,000 are dead. With the economy and health care system in shambles, Yemenis make desperate decisions to find medical treatment. Some take dangerous cross-country journeys to hospitals run by humanitarian groups; others spend their savings at private clinics. More than half of Yemen’s hospitals are closed or partly functioning, and sometimes administrators must choose between buying medical supplies and fuel for generators. Infectious diseases such as cholera and diphtheria are rampant, reflecting the lack of treated water and other basic government services.” – To read the full article click here.
If you want to read about why the or how the conflict began. Click here.
The Silence
In my travels around the world I have witnessed several things. I have learned some things first hand and I have spent time listening to stories of people who are or have been refugees of Syria. I have listened to refugees in Iraq. I have had first hand conversations with field workers and government officials who has spent time on the ground in Yemen. That doesn’t make me an expert. However, it does give me some insight I would like to share.
Money, allegiance, power and control are the reasons we do not hear about Yemen. If you would like to know more about who is contributing to the battle in Yemen…. Click on this link for an infographics…====> Yemen War Infographic
Moving Forward
My hope in sharing some of this information is to bring you into the know of a global crisis that is happening as you read. If you are a praying person, please pray for Yemen. I hope to go there at some point to bring love, peace and joy to a people in great need. If you’d like to support that endeavor when the time is right, sign up for the blog and receive quarterly email updates on my travel plans. In that email I will share with you what I do when I get to these places.