Yemen, one of the Arab world's poorest and least developed countries, is suffering from the worst humanitarian crisis created by years of ongoing conflict and violence. The Yemeni Civil War has, according to a UN estimate made in February 2019, left an estimated 24 million people in need of assistance and protection. That's nearly 80% of the country's population. Below are a few of many shocking statistics:

• 20 million people are food insecure.
• 19.7 million people are unable to get adequate healthcare.
• 17.8 million people lack access to safe water. 
• 2.4 million children under the age of 5 are malnourished. 

While violence is historically common in Yemen, it escalated rapidly in March 2015 between the Houthi movement and the Yemeni government, led by former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Massive unemployment, malnutrition, attacks against civilians, and political infighting eventually led to a civil war which caused severely limited access to humanitarian assistance. Moreover, the damaging effects of conflict in Yemen make it that much harder to get aid into the country. The war destroyed the country's infrastructure, which caused further food and fuel shortages and compromised access to clean water and sanitation. 
With COVID-19 now spreading quickly, Yemen is facing an emergency within an emergency. UNICEF is supporting this issue across Yemen to save children's lives, to help them manage the impact of the war, and to assist them to recover. Violence and separation have pushed more families into poverty and deprivation. Here are a few examples of how UNICEF is directly supporting the innocents in Yemen: 

• They have shipped 18,000 COVID-19 tests and more than 33,000 N95 respirators.
• They have helped 6.9 million people access emergency safe water.
• They have treated more than 343,000 children for severe acute malnutrition.
•  They have vaccinated 11.8 million children under 15 years against measles. 

As a student, I believe that action is beyond simply raising awareness for the cause - no matter how impactful it is - it should be taken directly to help those who are desperately in need of our support. I do believe that we can help diminish those horrifying statistics in the years to come, however that will only be possible if we are willing to go out of our way to read about this issue, find ways to help support this issue and to finally donate to end this issue. 

My fundraising goal is RM5000. After liaising with a member from UNICEF, 100% of the funds raised will be directed towards UNICEF's Yemen foundation to provide aid. Please donate to my cause, even a small amount can make a remarkable impact on the life of a helpless individual.