Dorcas in Yemen

It’s a crisis of staggering proportions: A child dies every 10 minutes. 14 million people are at risk of starving to death. And 22 million in peril need assistance and protection as a devastating war rages around them.

Humanitarian catastrophe
This is Yemen, where the worst humanitarian catastrophe of the century is taking place. But Dorcas is helping to ease the suffering. Working together with the International Training and Development Center (ITDC), a local organization that has been working in Yemen for decades, Dorcas is distributing food aid to desperate families struggling to survive famine and armed conflict. Many are cut off from food supplies because of the fighting and are difficult to reach.

Yemen is in great need
“In Yemen, a devastating war has been raging for four years. The conflict is difficult to explain, but everyone understands the consequences,” says Dorcas staffer and Yemen expert Wim den Hartog.

“Rebels, the army, Al Qaida and Islamic State are locked in a power struggle. Ordinary Yemenis are the victims of a regional rivalry between superpowers Iran and Saudi Arabia, who by digging their heels in the sand stand in the way of a solution,” he says. “There is no work, health care is spotty, many schools are closed and the streets are littered with the debris of wrecked houses. We can’t just stand by and watch as an entire generation of children is lost to developmental and growth retardation.”

Working together to feed the hungry
By teaming up with ITDC, Dorcas is able to invest in Yemen for a longer period of time, starting by feeding the hungry. Eventually, we hope to assist with reconstruction, food security, education and vocational training — programs that make an important contribution to economic recovery.

“Working in Yemen is not an easy choice, but a choice of our heart,” Den Hartog says. “Access to Yemen is very limited, fundraising is difficult and conditions for aid workers are dangerous. But ultimately, Dorcas is an organization where we follow our hearts. We’re not only helping people survive — we’re giving children an opportunity to develop so they can become energetic citizens who offer hope for the future.”

22 February 2019