ADEN, Yemen: More than 140,000 residents fled from a controlled Al-Qaeda province just 300 kilometers east from the coastal city of Aden. Residents of the Abyan governorate have taken shelter in schools, now used as camps for over a year, in the city of Aden, sheltering about 25 families in each camp. Ansar Al-Sharia, who is reportedly tied with Al-Qaeda, took over the Abyan governorate, which is now called an “Islamic Emirate” on May 28 last year. Islamic militants have gained control of Abyan despite the battles between the Yemeni soldiers to regain the province. While conflicts still continue in Abyan, residents were forced to flee and leave everything behind. “Coming to Aden city was very dangerous”, said Saeedah Abd Al-Hakem—a mother and an internally displaced person (IDP) in Al-Saa'dah school. She told Bikyamasr.com “Me and my son who is 19 years old had left our home, our clothes … our whole life behind us. We left on a motorcycle during the middle of ongoing clashes between militants and Yemeni soldiers.” Saeedah later explained that the Ansar Al-Sharia militants looked just like regular citizens, but were “heavily armed and strapped with guns on their backs.“ Continuing her story, she and other IDPs explained they spotted planes numerous times that fired multiple rockets without any pilot in the plane. Saeedah stated, “These planes were so fast, and they had a built-in camera. The planes flew over our neighborhood constantly.” Furthermore, the IDPs in Al-Saa'dah camp explained that they suffered the most from Al-Qaeda, not the Yemeni government. “Our homes are destroyed and our lives are shattered. Where will our future be?” the group of IDPs said. They add on saying, “We want to be buried in our land, our Abyan. We only pray to be buried there.” Residents of the militant-torn province suffer tremendously. Kids of the displaced families are sleeping under roofs of un-sanitized buildings, barely having any necessities. Manal Bawazir, a volunteer at the camp said aid from the local government is very low and important necessities are delivered to the camp once during a two to three month period. Mothers of the families learn to get along with each other and become close friends. They sit each day talking about their fears and worries of the days to come. Saeedah's son, a 19-year-old takes English courses at a nearby institute. Other kids attend schools near by the camp assuring their kids an education somewhere. In other cases, some kids in the camp do not attend school because there is no transportation to take them to classes. Malnutrition and new diseases are feared to increase and spread in refugee camps across Aden and Lahj. Persisting conflicts have hurt none but the residents of Abyan. While a few organizations such as World Health Organization (WHO) have said they will help—their assistance is very little. The government of Yemen has done very little to help the residents of Abyan while living in camps across the south. Many IDPs have depended on organizations to supply them with medical treatment, food and simple necessities. But while conflicts still drag along for over a year now, organizations have started to slow down shipments to Al-Saa'dah school, which is only one of thirty-three camps in Aden and Lahj. Many IDPs are losing hope and see their future in total darkness and uncertainty. “All we want is our voice to be heard to the world,” Saeedah says. She continued, “If people want to understand what is really going on in Abyan, they should come and ask us. Do not listen to the media. We are the victims of these continuing conflicts. We have seen everything, heard everything and know everything.” The victims of this conflict are losing hope and see their future in total darkness and uncertainty. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/vDprS Tags: Al Qaeda, featured, IDP, Refugees, Yemen Section: Features, Human Rights, Latest News, Yemen
