The Yemen conflict has taken a significant civilian toll.  Basic commodities are scarce, food shortages mean over half of the population - 14 million Yemenis - are food insecure.  Infrastructure and health services have been damaged or disrupted. Millions of people are displaced due to the fighting.

In this difficult context, how do people get access to the information they need?   

The Yemen Project is committed to serving people displaced within the country and those who have fled to neighbouring countries.

As a result of the hostilities between Houthi rebels and the Saudi led coalition, 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, nearly 6,000 have been killed and more than 2.4 million are displaced₁. Yemen was already one of the world’s poorest countries with frequent food shortages, a poor education system and chronic malnutrition, and the violence has exacerbated these problems.

There’s no telling when the conflict will end or even how things will change from one day to the next – but our partners’ courageous faith is keeping hope alive for the people of Yemen.

The small Christian population in Yemen face severe persecution if their faith is discovered, so there are few believers, with many fleeing the country for safety.  Apostasy is criminalised and may be punished with the death penalty should a person fail to renounce their new faith and return to Islam₂. 

Faith in action

Feba’s local partners have not given up on Yemen. Many displaced Yemeni believers are still playing an active role in the relief efforts, continually helping to ensure food and medical supplies get to where they are most needed.

we have assisted our partners to access...solar panels and fuel for generators, which are vital to keep communication channels open.

And the same believers gather informative and encouraging content for the Yemen Project broadcasts, persevering in this, despite being stymied by frequent power shortages.

Our partners’ programmes, broadcast into Yemen on shortwave, are helping to sustain many of the millions displaced. A lot of the new broadcast content is targeted at issues particularly relevant to listeners affected by the conflict.  Radio specifically geared to speak and listen to those internally displaced within Yemen. This new material therefore includes a series on trauma awareness and caring for affected people.  Follow up workers are able to field communications from listeners. 

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Further Reading: CASE STUDY: Yemeni Arabic programmes for secret believers

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Keeping hope alive

Feba is doing all it can to support our partners who are bringing hope and making informative radio broadcasts for Yemen.

The project makes demands on every area of our partners’ lives, and as much as they are committed to their work and the communities they serve, we are committed to them. One example is how we have assisted our partners to access more technical items, such as solar panels and fuel for generators, which are vital to keep communication channels open.

The Yemen Project is thriving, even if it does seem against the odds.

'What Jesus has for Yemen, what [does] Jesus have for us?'

- Producer of "Reality Church" radio programme for Yemen, highlighting the station's top listener question

The team is receiving thousands of responses from listeners every month.

From initially hostile calls, many listeners are now messaging the production team with searching questions about the programme content.  The most frequent enquiries are around Jesus and spiritual matters, despite most listeners coming from the country's majority religion. One Reality Church radio producer told us: "The number one question is 'What Jesus has for Yemen, what [does] Jesus have for us?'...and number two, 'Can we find peace and rest with Jesus, with Christian society?'"  

Contact with the station has significantly increased since the conflict, and listener engagement is predominantly positive and encouraging.

There’s no telling when the conflict will end or even how things will change from one day to the next – but our partners’ courageous faith is keeping hope alive for the people of Yemen.

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Please join us in praying for Yemen; that God will quickly bring the conflict to a lasting and peaceful conclusion, while continuing to bring His hope through the Yemen Project broadcasts.

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1.UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 'Yemen Humanitarian Dashboard' [accessed 20th October 2016]

2.Library of Congress, 'Laws Criminalizing Apostasy' [accessed 20th October 2016]