Christians reach out to hurting Yemenis during Houthi takeover

Yemenis tend to be laid-back, gentle and peaceful, says Shellby Voss, a Christian worker in the Middle East. She noted many of them seem to pride themselves on Yemen being one of the few Arab countries that had a nonviolent Arab Spring.

Disillusioned

However, the Houthi rebels’ takeover of much of the country has been disillusioning for many Yemenis. When the Houthis first seized the capital city, Sanaa, in September 2014, the Yemeni people were confident they would be able to pull themselves together as a nation. But now, more than a year later, the Houthis also have taken the port city of Aden, President Hadi has fled to Saudi Arabia and peace talks in Geneva have produced no positive movement. Many Yemenis are losing hope the fighting will end any time soon.

As the conflict carries on, more are looking to flee the violence. Djibouti is the most practical option for many refugees. Its borders remain open to them and it has an airport for those with passports and money. Unfortunately the sea provides the most reliable route to Djibouti, necessitating more than 13 hours on a barge.

Voss and her husband, Greg, recently visited Djibouti’s Obock refugee camp to see what immediate needs they could meet. They said conditions in the camp were dismal at best, with no electricity and little water. The refugees who lived near the front of the camp had a few foam mattresses, though not nearly enough for their large families. Rice and noodles had been distributed randomly but most families had no fire or pots for cooking.

Husbands and fathers often make the trip to Obock alone to see if they should bring their families. Most decide it’s better to stay in Yemen.

“Everybody I talked to at the camp said, ‘We discovered this was not a place we wanted to bring our families.’ So they were waiting on a way to get back,” Greg Voss said.

Shellby Voss added, “They’d rather die in Yemen quick than in Obock slow.”

The Vosses met one refugee who was doing everything he could to help other refugees as they came to the camp. At first he handed out bottles of water to newly arrived refugees. Now he helps them find their way around the city and locate apartments or hotels where they can stay. Before the Vosses left Djibouti, they gave the man some funds to help his efforts.

Meeting immediate needs

Over the next year the Vosses hope to find more ways to meet immediate needs of the refugees in Djibouti. Pray they will be able to effectively coordinate efforts to meet the physical needs of the Yemeni refugees and show them God’s love.

To donate to Baptist Global Relief efforts in Yemen, visit gobgr.org/donate/paypal and type “GR12374A02 – 2015 South Y Relief” under Donation Note.

(BP)

EDITOR’S NOTE — Names changed for security reasons. 

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