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Yemen: Cash assistance is improving lives in Lahj

Afer more than eight years of conflict, millions of people in Yemen are suffering from the compounded effects of armed violence, ongoing economic crisis and disrupted public services. The conflict has also disrupted job markets, leaving people across the country unable to meet their basic needs.

Mohammed Al Hadad, a 28-year-old Yemeni, is married and has two children. In 2018, Mohammed fled Zabid in Hodaidah governorate and relocated to Tuban in Lahj governorate after his home was damaged by missile strikes.

“I lost my home and job. The living situation was deteriorating and life became difficult, so I decided to flee to Tuban, hoping for a better life.”

Mohammed explains. He further adds "In Lahj, my wife and I had to work intermittently to earn daily wages. However, thanks to the cash assistance provided by DRC, our lives have improved."

Multipurpose cash assistance (MPCA) is the most efficient and effective modality to support socio-economically vulnerable households in Yemen. MPCA enables vulnerable households to withstand shocks caused by displacement.

In the absence of MPCA, households like Mohammed's can experience a sense of powerlessness, particularly when they are unable to fulfil basic family needs. Mohammed vividly remembers such an instance when his youngest daughter became ill.

"Fatima, my youngest daughter, got sick when she was a year old. She had severe diarrhea and dehydration. I took her the next day to the hospital. I only had five thousand Riyals (9 USD) in my pocket. This amount was spent on preliminary medical tests only. The doctor asked me to pay for the treatment in advance otherwise Fatima will not be treated."

"At that time, I felt contempt for myself; my child would die if I could not help her. In the end, one of my friends lent me 80,000 Yemeni riyals (150 USD) and I spent all of it on treatment. I wished that my life and the lives of all the displaced people in the camp would be better."

"With sufficient funds, we would be able to address our basic needs, and we would not despair when faced with illnesses, knowing that we have the necessary financial means for treatment.” says Mohammed.

With funds from the European Union (EU), the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) led Cash Consortium of Yemen (CCY) provides cash assistance to people like Mohammed in Lahj, helping him and thousands of others to access a wide range of services to meet their basic needs.

"I would like to express my gratitude to the DRC for the cash assistance. Without it, my living situation would have significantly deteriorated. This assistance has enabled me to provide food, repay debts, and seek medical treatment for my children when they fall ill.," says Mohammed.