Eid Joys Absent in Displacement Camp in Aden
(Arab World Press) - Displaced Yemenis in the Al-Shaab camp in the southern city of Aden said that they did not take any joy from the recent Eid Al Fitr holiday, as their living conditions have deteriorated.
During the past nine years, Yemenis have missed the fun of the festivities due to the aggravating economic and political developments caused by the Houthis, but the situation was even worse during this Eid Al Fitr, with the escalating attacks by the group on commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis’ attacks have hampered the delivery of the humanitarian aid that international organizations habitually send to millions of Yemenis.
Umm Ammar, a displaced woman from the city of Al-Hodeida, said that her position was unstable.
“For four years, insufficient aid has been delivered, and only with extreme difficulty. Sometimes, a basket of aid is shared between four families,” she added.
Ahmed Moussa, a displaced Yemeni man from Al-Hodeida, said that the people in the camp had been living without the help of aid organizations, and that the tents had become shabby.
“Representatives of organizations come and tell us they will send aid, but we do not see them again,” noted Moussa.
Nassiba Abdel-Baqi, an official in charge of Al-Shaab camp, said that aid was available in abundance in the displacement camps prior to 2020.
“Now, it has diminished for many reasons, including the Houthis’ strikes in the sea, and their targeting of cargo ships in the area,” she added.
International aid organizations have indicated that more than three million Yemenis live in displacement camps, enduring tough humanitarian conditions, along with scarcity of water and food, and the spread of disease.