The humanitarian crisis in Yemen, the world's most severe, is rooted in a history of colonial and imperial interference in the lives of Yemeni people. The UK government continues to illegally sell arms to Saudi Arabia, which have been proven to have caused civilian deaths.
Many of my neighbours in Balsall Heath, Birmingham, are Yemeni. This project records how their lives and families are affected by the ongoing conflict. All participants were asked, 'What is it like to have family affected by the war?' Their answers accompany the portraits seen here.
The project was a collaboration between BCMCR, Wild Ilk, The Yemeni Archive, the West Midlands Yemeni community and myself. Read more here.
My heart is broken but what can I do?
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My heart is broken but what can I do?
Ali
Digital C type, 12x16", March 2020
The Yemeni population is taken hostage in the middle of a much bigger, regional conflict. We hope all those states stop fighting their wars on our land, and give us back our right of self-determination. Let us live in peace and security, and let the Yemenis find a common ground, and figure a way to live together and prosper.
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The Yemeni population is taken hostage in the middle of a much bigger, regional conflict. We hope all those states stop fighting their wars on our land, and give us back our right of self-determination. Let us live in peace and security, and let the Yemenis find a common ground, and figure a way to live together and prosper.
Hussein
Digital C type, 12x16", March 2020
I’m from the South. I have been going to Yemen since 2015 and I run my own charity. There are beautiful charities trying to do really good work, yet there are still people who live in tents, dying of starvation. You give people food in a box, then what?
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I’m from the South. I have been going to Yemen since 2015 and I run my own charity. There are beautiful charities trying to do really good work, yet there are still people who live in tents, dying of starvation. You give people food in a box, then what?
Nabil
Digital C type, 12x16", March 2020
It’s not a nice feeling to know that at any time there could be a disaster there where I could lose these family members. Especially since 2015 when our neighbour’s house was hit by a missile.
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It’s not a nice feeling to know that at any time there could be a disaster there where I could lose these family members. Especially since 2015 when our neighbour’s house was hit by a missile.
Amro
Digital C type, 12x16", March 2020
My mother passed away during the war and I couldn’t travel to attend her funeral because it would have taken me 30 hours to get there, and I wasn’t even sure the roads would be clear to make it to my village. I have already cancelled several trips back home because of the situation there, and the blockade. It used to take us one hour to drive from the city to the village, the same route now takes up to 8 hours. Imagine what this means for children, elderly and sick people.
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My mother passed away during the war and I couldn’t travel to attend her funeral because it would have taken me 30 hours to get there, and I wasn’t even sure the roads would be clear to make it to my village. I have already cancelled several trips back home because of the situation there, and the blockade. It used to take us one hour to drive from the city to the village, the same route now takes up to 8 hours. Imagine what this means for children, elderly and sick people.
Zeid
Digital C type, 12x16", March 2020
There is no health care in Yemen. Hospitals have become dysfunctional because of the bombing, which has completely destroyed the country’s infrastructure. Children now play war, instead of being at school. This means they are likely to also become violent when they grow up because they haven’t learned any other way to solve the problems that they might face in life.
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There is no health care in Yemen. Hospitals have become dysfunctional because of the bombing, which has completely destroyed the country’s infrastructure. Children now play war, instead of being at school. This means they are likely to also become violent when they grow up because they haven’t learned any other way to solve the problems that they might face in life.
Mohammad Ismail
Digital C type, 12x16", March 2020
My mother has always refused to leave her home in the village. Her entire neighborhood is now destroyed, but she insists on staying. She is old, and lives on her own. I wish I could convince her to come live with me and my family in Birmingham. She just refuses to leave her village.
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My mother has always refused to leave her home in the village. Her entire neighborhood is now destroyed, but she insists on staying. She is old, and lives on her own. I wish I could convince her to come live with me and my family in Birmingham. She just refuses to leave her village.
Ibrahim
Digital C type, 12x16", March 2020
The situation is tragic in Yemen. Young children have either had to quit school to work or have joined armed factions so they can support their families. This is because a lot of them have lost their fathers in the war, which makes them prone to being exploited by different armed groups.
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The situation is tragic in Yemen. Young children have either had to quit school to work or have joined armed factions so they can support their families. This is because a lot of them have lost their fathers in the war, which makes them prone to being exploited by different armed groups.
Farouq
Digital C type, 12x16", March 2020
I have been traveling to Yemen every year since 2012, and every year the situation gets worse. People are getting poorer and sicker, they have no access to clean water, food or hospitals. The roads are blocked and controlled by armed factions. The whole country is infested by landmines, with nowhere to seek refuge.
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I have been traveling to Yemen every year since 2012, and every year the situation gets worse. People are getting poorer and sicker, they have no access to clean water, food or hospitals. The roads are blocked and controlled by armed factions. The whole country is infested by landmines, with nowhere to seek refuge.
Abdul Hamid
Digital C type, 12x16", March 2020
I am against the war because Islam, our religion, calls for us all to live together like brothers and sisters. I am also against all companiesthat manufacture arms becausethey worsen human suffering and make life in Yemen so difficult, especially because people have no access to schools or hospitals because of the fighting.
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I am against the war because Islam, our religion, calls for us all to live together like brothers and sisters. I am also against all companiesthat manufacture arms becausethey worsen human suffering and make life in Yemen so difficult, especially because people have no access to schools or hospitals because of the fighting.
Omar
Digital C type, 12x16", March 2020
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