Putting his skills back to work

Idrees's story:

Before conflict turned Jabal Sabir into one of the fiercest frontlines overlooking Taiz city, Idrees lived a modest but stable life. He was never a wealthy man, but years of hard work as an aluminium fabricator allowed him to provide for his family with dignity. His workshop, tools and loyal customers were the foundation of a life he had built through dedication and skill.

Everything changed when fighting reached his community.

As shelling intensified around their home, Idrees and his family fled for their lives with only the clothes they were wearing. There was no time to gather belongings, let alone the specialised tools that had taken years to acquire and on which his livelihood depended. By the time they reached safety in Lahj governorate, they had escaped with their lives—but left behind the means to rebuild them.

In the years that followed, like many displaced men in Lahj, Idrees relied on irregular daily labour—the only source of income available to many internally displaced people. The work was physically demanding, poorly paid and unpredictable, providing only enough income to survive from one day to the next. 

Today, Idrees continues to earn a living through his trade while ensuring his medical condition remains under control. Instead of worrying each day about whether he will find enough work to buy food, he is focused on expanding his workshop and creating greater stability for his family.

His greatest hope is to continue growing his business so he can support his family independently, keep his children in school and give them opportunities that conflict threatened to take away. More than anything, he wants them to grow up remembering not the years of hardship, but the future their family worked together to build.

Idrees' story demonstrates how Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance can do more than meet immediate humanitarian needs. By giving families the flexibility to decide how best to use the assistance, the Cash Consortium of Yemen with the support of European Union Humanitarian Aid, enables people to invest in the solutions that matter most to them—whether replacing essential livelihood assets, purchasing life-saving medication or meeting urgent household needs. For Idrees, that flexibility meant restoring not only his livelihood, but also his confidence as a skilled craftsman, a provider and a father.