Yemen Conflict: Refugees and Locals Suffer Together Amid Resource Scarcity

Seiyun, Yemen – In the early years of the Yemen war, which erupted in September 2014, food and shelter at camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) were relatively adequate. However, nearly 12 years of conflict and rising instability have pushed conditions both inside and outside the camps to dire levels, while the collapse of the Yemeni rial has fueled hyperinflation, creating the worst food crisis since 2022, with over half the population facing severe food insecurity.

Maryamah camp, one of many IDP camps in Seiyun city, Hadramout governorate in eastern Yemen, once a hub for humanitarian aid, has seen aid dwindle over the past four years due to budget cuts and other factors.

Ali Sagher Shareem, 51, who fled Hodeidah in western Yemen and traveled 1,000 kilometers to Maryamah two years ago, told Al Jazeera: “I heard there used to be aid here, but since I arrived, I haven’t received anything. My whole family – my wife and three children – lives in a windowless hut covered with rotten wooden planks and tarpaulin. If I find work and earn money, we eat; if not, we go to bed hungry.”

The local economy is increasingly depleted. Compounding this, escalated clashes in December 2025 between government forces and the Southern Transitional Council separatists have worsened the situation. Summer temperatures average 40°C, and prolonged power cuts turn tents into "ovens." Shareem’s wife is ill, but they cannot afford medicine; he often skips meals or relies on neighbors for help.

Mohammed Mohammed Yahya, 80, who arrived in Seiyun from Hajjah province six years ago with his wife and five children, sits in a small, poorly ventilated, and dimly lit room. He recounted, “When the power goes out, the tent is like hell. When it rains, the tent floods.” To buy a bag of tomatoes and yogurt, he must chop trees in the camp to sell as firewood.

According to the final United Nations report from 2021, the war between the Houthi forces, backed by Iran, and the internationally recognized government has caused 377,000 direct and indirect deaths. Yemen’s IDP agency reports that over 10,000 displaced families are sheltering in Wadi Hadramout, with Seiyun alone hosting 4,823 families (38,487 people).

Nadia Saif al-Fakhiri, an official overseeing IDP camps in Hadramout, described the situation as "very tragic, lacking basic necessities. Many families barely manage two meals a day; they survive on the cheapest foods and suffer immense psychological stress."

Refugees are not alone in poverty; local residents are also impoverished, leading to resource competition. Salah, a hospital cleaner, said, “I have four children who don’t have enough to eat; my salary is only 50,000 Yemeni rials (about $33 at the government-controlled exchange rate). When I approach aid organizations, they tell me it’s only for refugees. People in the camp are probably better off than us.”

Khaled Hassan, a retired teacher, once lived comfortably on a monthly pension of $370 in 2017. Now, his pension is only $85, which runs out within a week. He drives a tuk-tuk all day to supplement his income but still cannot support his family. “We are also very poor. They (IDPs) go back to their hometowns during Eid and receive help from everywhere,” he said.