With the support from the European Union, we provide health, nutrition, and protection services to the most vulnerable women. Like Aida
Aida is a 22-year old single mother, who was displaced from her small village in Al-Hudeida in March 2018 due to fierce fighting and the threat of forced recruitment of her younger brothers. She resettled in Al-Buraiqa district (Aden) with her 1-year-old daughter and 11 young siblings, with very little income. The young woman struggled to pay rent, leading to regular threats of eviction from her landlord. She was also stigmatized by her neighbors for being a single mother, after her husband abandoned her and no parents can support her. Aida had no choice but to work the little hours she could cleaning homes, feeling the constant threat of harassment travelling to work. “I was feeling completely lost, I was not able to think about the future of my family”, she explained.
In June 2021, Aida approached INTERSOS Community Center in Al-Buraiqa after having heard about INTERSOS’ services during an awareness session held by community volunteers. INTERSOS social worker provided her with psychological first aid and after a thorough assessment of her case, a case plan was drawn to respond comprehensively to her protection needs. Aida was considered as eligible for cash for protection, that she used to start a small cosmetic business. The income that she generates from this small business has permitted her to be self-sufficient and meet her family’s basic needs, including rent. During follow up sessions conducted by INTERSOS social worker, the young woman showed a remarkable improvement in her psychological wellbeing and confidence about the future. Her siblings were also included in collective PSS sessions to relieve from the psychological distress of conflict, displacement and difficult living conditions.
Together with the European Union, INTERSOS was able to invest in building Aida’s resilience and directly reducing her protection risks. With the support from the European Union, in Aden, Lahj and Hajja governorates, INTERSOS provides for an integrated package of emergency health, nutrition and protection services for conflict and displacement affected people. While the conflict is approaching the eighth year, Yemen remains the largest humanitarian crisis worldwide with two out of every three Yemenis (20.7 million individuals) requiring some humanitarian and protection assistance. Protection needs are critical in this context, ranging from civilian casualties and injuries caused by the fighting to protection risks stemming from new and protracted displacement, economic decline, depletion of assets and resources, growing food insecurity and malnutrition, limited access to basic services (e.g. clean water, health care, education, etc.), natural disasters, and adoption of negative coping mechanisms. Vulnerable groups face disproportionate and specific challenges to their physical and mental well-being. In particular, the vulnerability of women and children has dramatically increased.
INTERSOS has been operating in Yemen since 2008, ensuring provision of critical protection services to conflict and displacement affected individuals. These are integrated with emergency health and nutrition services so as to ensure that communities can access needed services rapidly and effectively.