The Need for Water

Back in September, the Carnegie Endowment issued a report that stated that Sana'a might be the first modern capital to run out of water.

This is shocking, yet signs of it are everywhere. Even in the main residential district where I live, on a major road, water is trucked in on a daily basis to homes and businesses. The photo above shows the truck that brought water to my apartment building last night.

UNICEF statistics show that only about 65% of the population has access to safe drinking water nationwide. The levels of access in rural and urban areas are about the same.

According to Carnegie:

Yemen is running out of water. Rising domestic consumption, poor water management, corruption, the absence of resource governance, and wasteful irrigation techniques are creating frequent and widespread shortages.

Yemen’s lack of food and water is complicated by the population’s dependence on qat, a quick-cash crop that requires heavy irrigation to thrive. Farmers devote so much land to qat production that Yemen is now a net food importer.

Related: Sana'a basin to drain away by 2025

Third camp opens to accommodate displaced communities in northern Yemen

My story about the opening of a new camp in northern Yemen is up on the UNICEF homepage. Check it out on the website or read the text below.

By Zahra Sethna

HARADH, Yemen, 20 January 2010 – Hundreds of displaced people have begun moving into a new displacement camp in al-Mazrak. This community in north-western Yemen has received tens of thousands of people in the past few months.

The sudden influx began in August 2009, when fighting between Yemeni government forces and rebel fighters forced families to flee their homes and seek shelter in this remote, desert area. The conflict began in 2004, and since then, some 200,000 people have been displaced.

Two displacement camps are already operational, housing approximately 23,000 people. Services are also being provided to thousands more scattered outside the camps. The latest camp opened in the wake of clashes between armed tribal militiamen and Yemeni soldiers at a checkpoint a few kilometres from the displaced communities.

Families are being relocated to this third camp from a reception area, where they had been staying temporarily, as well as from scattered settlements. The new camp will have a capacity of 1,200 families (more than 9,000 people).

Safe spaces for families 

Among the first residents was Hafedha, a 20-year-old mother of five. She and her family spent two months living in the reception area. Like all new arrivals, they were first screened by medical professionals. They were then registered, assigned a tent and given ration cards. Essential items, such as mattresses, cooking pots, jerry cans and hygiene materials were also provided. Assistants, trained and supported by UNICEF, were on hand to help families settle into the camp.

Water points have been set up within the camp to provide easy access to safe drinking water. The water is currently being trucked in, but plans for a piped network are underway.

For many families, living in the camp has provided access to facilities and services that did not exist in their home villages. For example, Hafedha said, this was the first time her family had a chance to use a latrine. In the coming weeks, her children will be able to attend school and participate in recreational activities organized and supported by UNICEF.

UNICEF is also concerned about the mental-health of these displaced people, many of whom have suffered traumatic experiences. A team of trained psychosocial support volunteers is screening the population, offering support and counselling to anyone who may need it. Safe spaces for children to play and express themselves are also available.

A Night of Firsts

The other night, to celebrate the arrival of two colleagues from our regional office in Amman, Jordan, I had my first meal in a Yemeni restaurant in Sana'a. This was a slightly different experience from the roadside joints I had eaten in last week in Haradh, up in the north. The food was different too, including the specialty of the house: a whole roasted fish.  It was a fun night, but the best part turned out to be getting home!

One of my colleagues suggested I take a 'debab' a local version of Kenya's 'matatu' or Ghana's 'tro tro'. It's essentially a minibus that runs a designated route. People jump on and off as needed, paying the driver a mere 40 rials for the ride (about 20 cents). This colleague seems a sensible man -- a medical doctor at that -- so I took his word for it when he said it would be fun and totally safe. Turns out he was right -- totally safe... No one batted an eyelid about me being in the van, the driver was pretty sane and I got home safe and sound and only 40 rials the poorer! Thanks Kemal!

Young Faces of Yemen

Northern Exposure

The village of al-Mazrak is about 25 kilometres from the front line in the fight between Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels. The village's name loosely translates as "smuggler's point," as it has long been an entry and exit point for goods to cross the Saudi border. The prime item being transported across the border is qat, the narcotic leaf that is grown and used everywhere in Yemen and that is banned in Saudi Arabia.

Since fighting intensified about six months ago, the border is totally off-limits and I'm told soldiers will pretty much shoot at anything that moves. To get around this, smugglers evidently strap qat to donkeys and send the animals unaccompanied across the border.

Al-Mazrak itself is just a huddle of shacks on either side of the road. There appear to be more guns than people in the town itself, as the place is swarming with tribal militia as well as uniformed soldiers with guns slung casually across their shoulders. Things seemed fairly calm as we drove through the town over the past few days, but just a week ago tensions flared into a skirmish that left five people dead. It's hard for an outsider to tell who is who and as yet no one really knows what triggered the clash.

The surrounding area is quite beautiful -- stark mountains against a sandy horizon. The wind sometimes whips up little dust funnels. At other times, the sky completely fills with sand.

Until a few months ago,  al-Mazrak was a fairly anonymous place from which to launch smuggling convoys. But since August, tens of thousands of people have fled into the area and are now being housed in several IDP camps.  That's where I spent the past three days. I'm home in Sana'a now and still covered in sweat and dust from the visit. I'm tired but happy. I'll share more information about the work going on in the camps soon.

Old City, New City

Last Friday I had a walk around the wonderful old city of Sana'a, with its ancient architecture and rich street life. This Friday, I am in another part of the city, with modern apartments, department stores and supermarkets. Here are some photos, to give a sense of the varied nature of this city.

From Wikipedia:

The old fortified city has been inhabited for more than 2,500 years, and contains a wealth of intact architectural gems. It was declared a World Heritage City by the United Nations in 1986. Efforts are underway to preserve some of the oldest buildings, some of which are over 400 years old. Surrounded by ancient clay walls which stand 6–9 metres (20–30 ft) high, the old city boasts over 100 mosques, 12 hammams (baths) and 6,500 houses. Many of the houses resemble ancient skyscrapers, reaching several stories high and topped with flat roofs. They are decorated with elaborate friezes and intricately carved frames and stained glass windows.

One of the most popular attractions is Suq al-Milh (Salt Market), where it is possible to buy not only salt but also bread, spices, raisins, cotton, copper, pottery, silverware, antiques (both fake and real) and formerly, slaves. The majestic 7th century Jami' al-Kabir (Great Mosque) is one of the oldest in the Muslim world. The Bāb al-Yaman (Yemen Gate) is an iconized entry point through the city walls and is over 700 years old.

The modern city resembles many other developing country capitals and reminds me of Tehran because of the mountains and ring of smog that surround the city. There are several modern business hotels, some chic restaurants which I have heard about but haven't yet seen and even fast food joints like KFC and Pizza Hut, which I have no intention of visiting.

Many people have spoken of the wild traffic in Sana'a, but compared with Tehran, and even New York, I have not experienced anything out of the ordinary.  There was one incident where we saw a boy of maybe 12 years old weaving a car a bit recklessly through a narrow street, but otherwise traffic has seemed relatively calm and orderly.

67 Days Till Spring

It was very cold when I left New York, unseasonably so. I wore a cashmere turtleneck to travel in, suspecting that it would be cold on the plane but that when I arrived in Dubai the sweater would go back in the suitcase and not make another appearance until the journey home in April.

I was wrong. I am wearing that sweater right now, in fact.

Sana'a is also very cold, also unseasonably so. The city is at 2,200 meters above sea level, which explains the cooler temperatures. But from what I understand, winter is not usually like this. I think we're experiencing a cold snap similar to the rest of the world, and I hope things will start to warm up soon.

Today is a bit milder but yesterday and the night before were really and truly cold. On Monday, I had just moved into the flat where I am staying and the apartment management kindly brought me a portable heater. I plugged it in, switched it to high and waited for the bedroom to warm up. Instead, the lights went out. Electricity cuts are pretty common here and I figured the generator would soon kick in so I went to bed. The generator never went on, and the heater never turned back on. I was sleeping in sweatpants, a long sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt and socks and under a duvet and heavy blanket and still I was freezing. In the morning, I left my bedroom only to find out that the electricity hadn't failed, I had just tripped the circuit in my bedroom by keeping the heater on high!

Yesterday I asked one of the office drivers when the cold weather was supposed to end. He's a bit of a joker, and without hesitating he replied, "March 21st." The first day of spring.

A Real Value Menu

Last night I had my first meal outside the hotel. It was, unfortunately, not a Yemeni meal. I'm saving that for when I can go to a good restaurant and have a positive first experience with the cuisine. Instead, I went to a popular falafel joint in Sana'a called, appropriately, Palestine Falafel.

One of my chief complaints with falafel in New York is the excessive use of garlic, both in the falafel and in the ubiquitous hummus that accompanies it. Last night's meal was perfectly seasoned. The falafel were crisp and tasty and dressed only with some tahini sauce, tomatoes and cucumbers. The wraps came in normal and spicy. I tried one of each and both were delicious.

The kicker to the whole experience was the price: 70 riyals per wrap, which works out to about 35 cents. Three falafel sandwiches for a dollar? Now that's what I call a happy meal!

The 11th Century Meets the 21st Century

It was bright outside and dark inside, so all I could see framed in the uneven stone doorway were two young boys wearing light-colored blazers. They stood and spoke with the confident demeanor of men four times their age, but they were probably only about 12.

As I entered and my eyes adjusted to the light, my nose took in the strong earthy scent of an animal. The boys, it seemed, were in charge of an ancient stone mill, which was just below and to the right of the doorway. The mill was surrounded by a well-worn dirt ring, around which a camel, when he was on duty, would walk, pulling the mill and grinding sesame seeds – sim sim – into oil. Plastic bottles of the amber liquid were arranged on a shelf to the left, behind which was a stall where the camel was currently taking his lunch break.

It was a scene straight out of another century, but so was most of my morning walk through the old city of Sana’a. This is the Arabia of childhood legends and fairy tales, breathlessly trying to catch up to the 21^st century. Men dressed in head wraps with scabbards tucked into their belts walk down the street chatting on their mobile phones. Outside the ancient wall of the old city, I am sitting in a hotel with wireless Internet access.  A huge, multi-million dollar mosque complex has just been built by the president. Across the highway is a Pizza Hut.

This is going to be a curious adventure.

On the Verge of Adventure

On New Year's Eve of 1999, I was about to embark on a huge adventure. Three months earlier, I had met the love of my life and we were about to move in together in a city over 500 miles away from all of my friends and family. I was happy and excited, but also nervous.

Ten years later I find myself in a surprisingly similar situation. This time, I'm about to leave behind friends, family and that love of my life to go thousands of miles away. Once again, I am happy and excited, but also nervous.

In just over 48 hours, I will be getting on a flight bound for Dubai, and shortly after that I will arrive in Sana'a, Yemen. When I accepted the offer to go to Yemen to do humanitarian work with UNICEF, it was just another fragile country in the Middle East that few people knew anything about. Just two short weeks later, it is front-page news around the world.

Terrorist threats notwithstanding, nothing has changed for the people of Yemen during the past two weeks. Unemployment in the country remains at 35 percent. Nearly half of the population still lives on less than $2 a day. The adult literacy rate is just over 50 percent. Theirs remains one of the least developed countries not only in the region, but in the world, ranking just above Pakistan, Swaziland and Angola in terms of human development.

These are the reasons for my trip there. Working with UNICEF I hope to be able to call attention to the situation of women and children in the country and perhaps, in some small way, shed some light on what is really happening there. I hope to use this blog as a way of communicating and sharing my experiences there.