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Photos: 7 years of Yemen war, 7 things that changed for 7 people

With unstoppable inflation and civilian casualties on the rise, the war in Yemen will enter its eighth year on March 26.

Fadhl Bakar, 13 years
Fadhl Bakar, 13, is carrying firewood back to his tent. He dropped out of school in 2016 when fighting erupted in his village and had to flee. He now spends most of his time supporting his family by doing daily work. [Mahmoud Al-Filastini/NRC]
By Jasmin Lavoie and Nasser Abdulkareem
Published On 22 Mar 2022

The ruinous war in Yemen will enter its eighth year this week.

A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in late March 2015 to support Yemen’s government against the Houthi rebels, who had seized the country’s populous central and northern highlands, including the capital, Sanaa.

Since then, tens of thousands of people have been killed and about four million displaced, while two-thirds of the nearly 30 million population still depend on humanitarian assistance to survive.

The beginning of 2022 was marked by a sharp escalation in the conflict. January alone saw more civilian casualties than all of 2021, with almost one person being killed or wounded every hour.

In addition to the daily fights on front lines, air raids and cross-border attacks, the conflict is also fought economically.

The different parties try to control commodities, natural resources, trade flows, taxes and fuel revenues and the impact disproportionally affects civilians. As a result, the Yemeni currency in the south dropped to an unprecedented low at the end of last year, creating a domino effect on people’s lives when they were already facing steep inflation and rising fuel prices.

People earn the same money, but they have to pay for more basic things. But this is just one of the many things that have changed in the daily life of Yemenis since the war began. Here are seven things that changed for seven people in the last seven years.

Some names* have been changed to protect their identity.

This photo essay is provided by the Norwegian Refugee Council 

Ghadam Salem, a mother of three, is cooking boiled potatoes that she sells thanks to firewood.
Ghadam Salem, a mother of three, is cooking boiled potatoes that she sells. She was using propane cylinders as an energy source before the war, but they are too expensive now so she relies of firewood. 'Propane cylinders have become something that only rich families can afford. The firewood used to be free, it's not any more, but it's still cheaper than propane cylinders,' she says. [Mahmoud Al-Filastini/NRC]
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Rahaf Saleh, an 11-year-old
Like many other children living in camps for displaced people, 11-year-old Rahaf Saleh has to help her family with daily tasks such as fetching water. Before or after school, she must carry heavy containers filled to the brim and bring them back home on her donkey. 'Helping my family is my priority now,' she says. [Mahmoud Al-Filastini/NRC]
Mohammed Qaid, 20-years old, sells fuel in Taiz city near a closed petrol station
Mohammed Qaid, 20, sells fuel near a closed petrol station in the city of Taiz. Fuel shortages are common in Yemen, affecting transportation, hospital generators and water pumps, among others. Petrol on the black market can be sold for more than twice the official price. 'Before the war, I was a student and didn't know anything about fuel. There was no black market. Now I sell fuel on the street. When stations are closed, people depend on the black market to refill their cars and motorcycles,' Qaid says. [Khalid Al-Banna/NRC]
Ameen Abadel, 35-years-old, is a father of five.
Ameen Abadel, 35, is a father of five. He and his family now have to live in a tent - unprotected from the rain, cold weather, wind, snakes and other reptiles - after being forced from his house that he had built brick by brick when the front lines moved near his village. 'In the beginning, we thought this would be temporary. That we would get back to our house. But it seems we won't, as it doesn't seem the war will stop any time soon,' Abadel says. [Mahmoud Al-Filastini/NRC]
Mustafa" (not his real name), 38-years-old, was a Yemeni teacher
Mustafa*, 38-years-old, was a Yemeni teacher. He is now selling bananas in one of Taiz's markets. According to Save the Children, more than half of Yemen's teachers and education personnel have been forced to find second sources of income, as they have not received regular pay since 2016. 'Who could imagine that I would reach that point in my life? I left my school, and now I am selling bananas. I am in the worst situation, and I can do nothing. But maybe I'm luckier than other teachers who are still waiting for their salary to come,' Mustafa says. [Khalid Al-Banna/NRC]
Ahmed (not his real name), a 13 year-old boy, goes to school every morning and works as a mechanic in the afternoon and during weekends with his father
Ahmed*, a 13-year-old boy, goes to school every morning and works as a mechanic in the afternoons and during weekends with his father. The money he earns helps his father pay for his education. [Mahmoud Al-Filastini/NRC]
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