IRIN: First person: Bringing aid to my neighbors in Hodeidah just got harder
Salem Jaffer Baobaid, Hodeidah project coordinator for Islamic Relief

“..The U.N. says Yemen is on the brink of famine, and I’ve seen what that looks like first-hand. As people grow increasingly desperate, my job has become harder, but it also feels more urgent. As Islamic Relief’s project coordinator for Hodeidah province, it’s my responsibility to make sure food gets to 110,000 households every month … We also deliver specialized nutritional support to malnourished new and expectant mothers, who might otherwise struggle to breastfeed their babies. … But there is much more to do besides the immediate food needs. I also make sure our sanitation projects, which are critical in the fight against cholera and other deadly diseases, keep operating … The days are long, the dangers many, and the obstacles to aid workers’ jobs in Hodeidah never seem to end. … People are relying on us to deliver aid effectively and on time. … But no matter what we do, aid organizations are not designed or equipped to feed an entire nation. Without an end to this war, many more innocent people will die — be it from hunger, … from disease, … or from the bombs and bullets…” (11/8).