Lyla Yusuf fled the violence with her daughter.

In their own voices, Yemenis tell of the hardship and uncertainty the conflict has brought to their lives.

In two short sentences that span the vast gulf between before and after, Najma Ahmad Salih sums up the terrible toll the airstrikes and fighting in Yemen have taken on people.

“We are living in fear,” she says, staring directly into the camera. “We were living in peace.”

Salih is a mother, and for me, her simple words—spoken with her children in mind—couldn’t be more profound. Fear is the ever-present reality for countless families who are enduring what few of us can hardly imagine. The conflict, which has forced more than 1.2 million people from their homes and killed almost 1,500 civilians, has fed a fuel shortage that could soon be more deadly than the fighting itself.  Without fuel, Yemenis can’t get food, water, or medicine.

In the short videos below, listen to Salih and others describe their lives today—the shelling, the terror, the homelessness—and then join Oxfam in helping us meet the dire needs of Yemenis.

Najma Ahmad Salih, mother

 Ali Muhammad, teacher

Mohammad Said Saad Al Anessi, electrical engineer

Lyla Yusuf Hakami, mother

When disasters strike, Oxfam needs to be ready to respond. Lives depend on it. Give to our Saving Lives 24/7 Fund to support our emergency work, present and future, so that when crises erupt, we’re ready to spring into action.

Donate now