Green Energy Brings Safety, Ease and New Opportunities to Communities in Ma’rib

Ma’rib - When Zainah and her family escaped from violence near their home three years ago, she insisted they take the washing machine with them as they fled to another area of Ma’rib for safety.  

“Most of the people criticized and scoffed at me. They said there was no point to take a washing machine, that we were going to live in tents in the open, where there is no electricity or water,” explained Zainah.

“But I was also certain that the things we left behind would be lost forever, and that we’d no longer be able to afford to buy new things,” the 39-year-old mother of seven added.

Zainah and her family had been displaced once before. At that time, the family could not bear the harsh reality of being displaced and decided to return to their village as soon as clashes subsided.

But peace did not last long. Once the conflict intensified again last year and the family lost two of their children - Zainah’s nephews – they realized they can no longer stay home.

Her story is all too familiar. Many of Yemen’s 4 million internally displaced people have fled for their lives multiple times since the start of the conflict seven years ago. Every two in three people in Yemen requires humanitarian assistance for their survival.

“I bought this washing machine five years ago. Back when we had a better life. We were in a good financial situation, we had electricity and a real house."

When they were forced to flee this time, Zainah held her washing machine in her lap as the family drove 90 kilometres to Batha'a Almil displacement site in Ma’rib Al Wadi where they settled.

Zainah placed her machine in the corner of a kitchen made of fragile wood and fabric. As the years passed, the washing machine was forgotten and used as a storage space.

Like in other camps, Batha'a Almil had no access to basic electricity as it is not connected to the national energy grid that services urban communities.

The lack of energy meant that displaced families could not light their homes or roads at night, charge their devices or even turn on heaters during cold nights.

Many relied on using candles and old lamps after nightfall, increasing the risk of fire incidents.

Zainah’s two widowed sisters, who lost their husbands in the conflict, lived with their children in the same displacement site too.

“By sunset, our life in the camp stopped. Many nights, we found ourselves eating in the darkness,” explained Lawzah, Zainah’s sister.

“I struggled every night to look after my baby when he cried. One night I heard a small scratch under my baby’s mattress. I switched the little light I have on, and it was a scorpion!”

To ease these hardships and bring power to the camps, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with support from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), began to distribute solar power systems to families last October.

The solar energy has transformed family’s lives – improving their living conditions and opening new opportunities for people to earn an income.

“Having electricity is critical for the safety of displaced people, particularly for women and girls who are often exposed to violence and harassment during the night, especially when it is too dark and no one can see,” explained Sabah, IOM’s Camp Coordination and Management Field Assistant.

Since electricity became available in her shelter, Zainah started to use her washing machine again. She is happy that she did not leave it back at home.

“The installed solar energy system is really easy for us to use and maintain. It provides us with light, power to charge our phones and to operate household appliances,” explained Lawzah, “Life has become much easier.”

IOM has distributed solar energy systems and equipment to more than 500 families in Bataha’a Almil and Saylat Almil camps in Ma’rib, thanks to KSrelief support.

The intervention is one of many provided by IOM to people living in Ma’rib’s where the Organization manages dozens of displacement sites and provides clean water, sanitation, health care, shelter and emergency relief items to people in need.