Balance Sheet for Kinder Jemens in Not e.V. – The year 2022 in retrospect
“The Forgotten Tragedy” is currently the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The sad reality is that there are few other countries where as many people are starving as in Yemen. For over eight years, war has ravaged the poorest Arab country, resulting in the loss of relatives or friends for nearly all of its 30 million inhabitants.
Since the war began in 2015, at least 150,000 people have died. When accounting for indirect consequences such as hunger and lack of access to healthcare, the number is doubled, according to the United Nations. Currently, 80 percent of the population depends on humanitarian aid, and approximately 400,000 children suffer from malnutrition.
As the most vulnerable among those affected, children hold a special place in our hearts and yours. This is why we are actively involved in Yemen, striving to provide assistance wherever possible. In the following report, we would like to assess what Kinder Jemens in Not e.V. was able to achieve in 2022, thanks to your generous support.
Our organization operates in five districts: Taiz, Sanaa, Hudaydah, Dhamar, and Ibb. We receive support from 11 local volunteers, including a female doctor and two male doctors. Within the framework of various projects, our association remains actively engaged, as outlined below:
1. The fight against malnutrition in children
In Sanaa, we currently have 72 children in our care, two of whom are suffering from life-threatening malnutrition and another 7 who are in need of some other form of medical care.
83 children are in our care in Ibb, 3 of whom are also currently receiving medical treatment.
In Dhamar we are helping 50 children. Of them, 5 are severely malnourished and 8 others are in various medical treatments.
In Hodeida, we support a total of 49 children with provisions.
In Taiz, 89 children are supported with food parcels, four of them are also currently receiving medical treatment until they recover.
We are currently striving to resume food distribution throughout the country, especially in rural areas. At the beginning of 2020, we had to temporarily put this part of our program on hold, as it had been prohibited by the Huthis in power. In the meantime, our local partner organization “Yemen’s children in need” has received approval and we are trying to distribute food through them again.
2. Street children to school children
In Yemen, access to school education is not guaranteed for children. Often, the need to work and provide for their families directly hinders their ability to attend school. However, we are committed to ensuring that these children are not deprived of their development and education. Despite the challenging circumstances they face, the children’s eagerness to learn is both touching and admirable. The significance of regular school attendance requires no explanation, and the children’s faces reflect their pride and gratitude.
As a solid foundation for their future, our association supports families on a monthly basis by providing them with food and necessary school supplies, thereby enabling their children to access education. Currently, we are supporting 34 children in Sana’a, 36 children in Ibb, 27 children in Dhamar, and 33 children in Taizz in their pursuit of education.
Thanks to the increased donations received in 2022, we were able to expand the Street Children to School Children program and include more children.
3. Individual sponsorships
Our sponsorship program for 2021 has resonated with many individuals. Currently, we have 84 sponsorships supporting a total of 87 children through ongoing financial assistance. The monthly cost ranges from approximately €60 to €90 per child. It’s important to note that no cash is directly given to the children or their families.
Instead, sponsored children receive necessary school materials, and their families receive monthly food packages. In cases where sponsors can only afford a portion of the monthly costs, the sponsorships are divided or the association steps in to cover the remaining amount if needed.
In an interview with Rawia:
Unfortunately, along with our commitment, we must also share sad news. We mourn the loss of two of our sponsored children. Despite receiving medical treatment and the tireless efforts of their doctors, these children were unable to overcome the complications arising from severe malnutrition and pre-existing illnesses.
In one particular case, the sponsoring family decided to continue supporting the bereaved family by providing a monthly food basket. This measure ensures that the siblings receive daily meals and helps prevent the life-threatening consequences of malnutrition.
In April 2020, we included little Hikmat in our ‘Malnourished Children’ project; however, at that time we did not know that the little girl was suffering from a malignant tumor. On November 2, 2020, we reported on our Facebook page that Hikmat’s parents came from Hudaydah to the Oncology Center in Sana’a for special examinations of their little daughter’s tumor.
Through our project manager’s contacts with the hospital, we were able to cover the costs for the vital chemotherapy; however, the worries for Hikmat were far from over. In November 2021 (with a current photo of little Hikmat) we were finally able to thank all the supporters, who helped give the little girl a chance to survive.
Sad news is also part of the commitment made for the children in Yemen, and so we mourn the loss of three of our protégés. Despite medical treatment and the greatest efforts from the attending doctors, the children could no longer muster the necessary strength against complications of their severe malnutrition and pre-existing diseases. For the children, who lived in bitterly poor families, our help came too late.
The organization decided to continue supporting the families for the time being with a monthly food basket to guarantee a daily meal for the siblings of the diseased and thus prevent the life-threatening consequences of malnutrition.
Background information on projects 1-3:
Projects 1-3 aim to provide food baskets to individuals in need through various channels. While the specific contents may vary slightly between families, the main staples remain consistent. These include flour, rice, cheese, dried milk, pasta, beans, and cooking oil. Prices and margins are negotiated between our project management and each trader at a wholesale market in Sana’a.
To ensure transparency and maintain the dignity and individuality of the recipients, our distribution procedure is based on personalized purchasing vouchers. This approach helps prevent the misuse of donations and ensures that the funds are utilized for their intended purpose.
The current supply situation in Yemen is profoundly dire and has worsened due to blockades of access routes, seaports, and airports, along with ongoing conflicts that have led to significant price increases. Consequently, the cost of monthly food baskets for the families we support currently ranges between 65 and 80 euros, depending on the immediate supply situation.
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the families receiving support through monthly food baskets, regardless of the specific project they are associated with. Their appreciation for your support is immeasurable, and they extend their heartfelt thanks.
4. The Thuraya Children’s Hospital
We have previously provided updates on the progress of the Thuraya Children’s Hospital. After lengthy contract negotiations, we obtained approval from the Health and Population Authority on October 3, 2022, for the construction and operation of the hospital. Although our initial plan was to begin construction in 2022, unfortunately, this was not realized. However, on January 8, 2023, the necessary land was officially transferred to our partner association, “Yemen’s Children in Need.”
We remain confident that this year we will commence the construction of the children’s clinic in collaboration with our partner association. The completion of the clinic will occur in three expansion stages, allowing us to maximize the benefits for the local population while aligning with incoming donations. The construction and operation of the Thuraya Children’s Hospital will be significantly more cost-effective compared to hospitals in developed countries. As a small non-profit organization, we are determined to make this hospital a reality. For a detailed project plan and the current implementation status, please visit our website.
As we look back on 2022, we acknowledge it as a year filled with numerous changes and limitations in various aspects of life. We have faced challenges such as the outbreak of war in Europe, energy shortages, inflation, which has imposed restrictions on many citizens, and concerns about the future.
The pandemic has disrupted the carefree everyday lives of children in Germany, even extending into the summer. This serves as a reminder of how swiftly life circumstances can change, not through any fault of their own, whether due to a pandemic or other factors like natural disasters or political conflicts. Sadly, children are often the most severely affected by such disasters and the ensuing challenges they bring. Therefore, it becomes even more crucial to provide assistance, particularly to the most vulnerable individuals. You have the power to make a difference and offer help in these circumstances.
Despite the devastating proxy war that continues to ravage the poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen remains a captivating nation with warm and hospitable inhabitants who yearn for peace and a secure, prosperous future for their children. Let us join forces to restore Yemen to its former state of happiness as “Arabia Felix.”
As a small association, we strive to raise awareness about the urgent need for assistance to children in Yemen without extensive advertising. Our primary focus and commitment to ourselves are to ensure that EVERY donation is fully directed to children and families who are in desperate need of help.
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all those who have placed their trust in our work throughout the past year. Your financial support and efforts to raise awareness about the plight of children in Yemen by sharing our donation appeals on social media with acquaintances and friends are deeply appreciated.
Our wish for our beneficiaries and the dedicated helpers of our partner association in Yemen is that the wars in Yemen and Ukraine come to an end in 2023. May your unwavering solidarity contribute to ensuring that the children in Yemen are never forgotten.
You can also support the association’s work by becoming a member. Join us in making a difference.
Our Guiding Principle: Making a Difference in Yemen. Directly. On the Ground.
Humanity knows no bounds. Join us in our mission to provide assistance and donate for the children in Yemen. Every donation contributes to supporting children on the ground. When hope is lost for children, their future becomes uncertain. Let’s donate hope.
Important Note: We would like to assure you that the photos of the children shared on our Facebook page, website, and newsletter are done so with the explicit consent of their families. These photos serve as expressions of gratitude and demonstrate the positive changes made possible by your donations.
We refrain from using pictures of seriously ill children under our care, as we believe it is ethically unacceptable to showcase the suffering of individual children for promotional purposes. Our organization’s focus is on urgently saving the lives of children, and we believe we can carry out our work effectively without such images.
Rest assured, all donors will receive a donation receipt, and all donations are fully tax-deductible.