YMER+

In the grip of armed conflict since March 2015, Yemen is now facing a serious humanitarian crisis: two thirds of the population are in need of aid, half of whom are in a state of extreme emergency, suffering from famine and cholera.

The extremely unstable security situation is restricting the ability of NGOs to reach the worst affected people, and is also forcing those Yemenis most in need of help to isolate themselves more, thereby cutting themselves off from information about the available humanitarian aid.

The lack of information is exacerbated by the fact that Yemeni media organisations as a whole face major challenges when trying to perform their duty to inform the public: with the constant threat of laws curbing press freedom hanging over journalists, practising journalism in Yemen often means having to hide to communicate information or going into exile. In addition, there are difficulties for journalists to deal with humanitarian issues in a journalistic manner.

In view of the urgency of the situation, and conscious of the fact that Yemeni journalists have a part to play in supporting the humanitarian effort, CFI is committed to implementing a project aimed at improving the circulation of humanitarian information intended for the affected populations.

Through initiatives aimed at forging links with NGOs operating on the ground and the provision of training to journalists on the journalistic handling of humanitarian information and production support, the YMER project, supported by the European Union, strengthens the role of Yemeni journalism as a key component in the communication and sharing of useful information between NGOs and their beneficiaries, thereby increasing the effectiveness of international aid to ensure it has a real impact. It also contributes to the freedom of informing Yemeni populations about the humanitarian situation in the country.