After over a decade of civil war in Yemen, humanitarian needs across the country are overwhelming. The ongoing conflict has destroyed critical infrastructure like roads and power supplies, led to the breakdown of essential services such as education and healthcare, and left most households unable to afford even basic food supplies. As a result, more than 18 million people - over half the country's population - required humanitarian assistance in 2024.
CARE works with communities in Yemen through the UK Government-funded BRIGHTLY consortium, a partnership of organisations including Yemen Family Care Association, Oxfam, Norwegian Refugee Council and Save the Children, supporting households to generate sustainable incomes and food supplies. A cornerstone of the project is empowering communities to take control of decision-making, enabling them to prioritise and fund the activities that meet their specific needs.
Maryam’s story
Maryam Mohammed, a mother of four, is from one of the communities that BRIGHTLY works in. Through the project, she built herself a new kitchen which now means her family can store and access food safely.
The conflict has transformed life in communities like Maryam’s, where many households now rely on humanitarian support for food, water and shelter. It has also changed the role of women, who – in addition to traditional household and child-raising responsibilities – often need to seek employment to help make ends meet.
For Maryam, a lack of job opportunities forced her husband to travel to neighbouring districts to find work, leaving her to support their four children alone. Her son has a medical condition which requires medication, adding further strain on the family finances.
"Job opportunities were scarce for my husband, prompting him to journey to neighbouring districts in pursuit of work to secure even a modest income," said Maryam.
"I was so careful to support my family, we lived through difficult times. There were days where we couldn't find anything to eat, we don't have a kitchen that preserves our food well and our food is exposed to contamination.”
Support from BRIGHTLY: Cash-for-work
In 2024, BRIGHTLY consortium partner Oxfam began ‘cash-for-work’ activities in Maryam’s district, which support people with an income during a humanitarian emergency by paying them to work on activities like road repairs or building rehabilitation. Maryam took part in these activities and received payment to rebuild her own kitchen. This was critical for her family, as it means they now have a kitchen where their food can be stored without going off.
"When I was selected to take part in the cash-for-work activity, I felt overjoyed. After receiving cash assistance, our situation has improved a lot. I am now able to buy food, build my kitchen, and provide my son with his medicines.'' Maryam said.
Critically, the support offered through this project is defined by women and families in the community, so it responds directly to their most pressing needs - whether this be food, shelter, or other essential items.
"I now feel comfort and happy after I built a safe kitchen. We can prepare our meals even during rainfalls and get clean food without contamination."
We haven't lost hope. We overcame our biggest difficulties which hindered our path.’’ - Maryam
About the BRIGHTLY consortium
BRIGHTLY is a consortium of national and international NGOs in Yemen, including Yemen Family Care Association, CARE in Yemen, Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam and Save the Children International. Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, it is centred around three ‘pillars’ of action:
- Strengthening household resilience.
- Putting decision-making in the hands of local communities: BRIGHTLY is directly funding activities which enable local communities to have access to grants, mentoring and training.
- Transforming the systems of humanitarian delivery so services are managed more efficiently and in partnership across sectors.
