Key Points

• Millions of Yemenis are starving and many parts of Yemen are facing famine-like conditions
• Zabid bakery produces 8000 pieces of baguettes (roti) daily that feeds 800 families completely free of cost
• Sana'a bakery produces 12000 pieces of bread that feeds 1200 families completely free of cost
• These bakeries aim to help extremely poor families, internally displaced people, elderly, the homeless and orphans
• The bread is sent to the families who are spread out via a motorbike. Those living nearby collect the bread directly from the bakeries

Campaign Story

Yemen is going through an unprecedented level of hunger, the likes of which have not been seen in recent human history. Despite many people coming out to provide humanitarian assistance, 17.4 million Yemenis are still lacking basic food access. Many areas are facing famine-like conditions especially in the areas of Hajjah, Amran and Al Jawf. This is forecasted to nearly triple in the first half of 2023. The Covid-19 pandemic has increased costs, made access to resources, and distribution of aid more difficult.

Some 19 million people in Yemen are projected to be in need of food assistance in 2022, an increase from the current 17.4 million. Of these, 7.3 million people will be facing emergency levels of hunger. According to UNICEF, about 2.3 million children under the age of five currently suffer from acute malnutrition in Yemen, with 400,000 expected to suffer from life-threatening severe malnutrition in the coming months.

This is Phase 04 of our Yemen Bakery Project. Approximately RM11,000 is needed to produce 225,000 pieces of bread every month that feeds 1,500 families. Alhamdulilah thanks to the brilliant support shown by our donors, over the 3 phases we have helped feed 23,917 families with over 3,587,522 pieces of bread. The beneficiaries included extremely poor families, internally displaced people, elderly, the homeless and orphans. The bread was sent to the families who are spread out via a motorbike. Those living nearby collected the bread directly from the bakeries.

Picture updates of the distribution during Phase 03 can be viewed here.

In 2018 alone, 85 000 children died of starvation. The numbers have gone up since in 2022. Meanwhile: 

- 75% of the population or 22 million people in need of some form of humanitarian assistance.

- 60% of the population or 18 million people face food insecurities.

- 8.4 million Yemenis don't know if they will get to see another meal.

- 55% of the population or 16 million people do not have safe access to drinking water.

- 50% of all children are stunted and the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition has increased by 90% in the last 3 years.           

Since 2017, Al-I’tisam’s bakeries has helped ease the starvation, with a production of 20,000 pieces of bread daily. The entire operation is funded by donations. If the support is stronger, the bakeries have the capability to produce much more bread. The monthly average cost for running these 2 bakeries is USD 36,000.

Zabid Bakery: This bakery using manual processes produces 8000 pieces of baguettes (roti) daily that feeds 800 families completely free of cost.

Sana'a Bakery: This bakery using line-machines produces 12000 pieces of bread that feeds 1200 families completely free of cost. 

These bakeries aim to help extremely poor families, internally displaced people, elderly, the homeless and orphans. The bread is sent to the families who are spread out via a motorbike. Those living nearby collect the bread directly from the bakeries.

Donations to this campaign will help the bakeries cover their operational costs and continue to feed Yemenis on the ground.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever relieves a Muslim of a burden from the burdens of the world, Allah will relieve him of a burden from the burdens on the Day of Judgement. And whoever helps ease a difficulty in the world, Allah will grant him ease from a difficulty in the world and in the Hereafter. And whoever covers (the faults of) a Muslim, Allah will cover (his faults) for him in the world and the Hereafter. And Allah is engaged in helping the worshipper as long as the worshipper is engaged in helping his brother.” [Tirmidhi]