Camp Dragon Blood by Marsel van Oosten

Camp Dragon Blood by Marsel van Oosten

Little over a year ago I fulfilled a longtime wish by visiting the Yemeni island of Socotra – an incredible experience. As nations around the world are battling the pandemic and economies are crumbling, we seem to be more concerned about our own well-being than ever before. While this is understandable, it’s good to realize that you’re probably still one of the lucky ones. Yemen has been ravaged by a five-year civil war which has sparked the world’s largest humanitarian crisis in terms of numbers, pushed two-thirds of the country to the brink famine, and prompted the worst outbreak of cholera in modern history. To make matters worse, the capital was hit by heavy flash floods causing widespread disruption. Yemen has had one of the world’s largest cholera outbreaks in recent memory and health officials have been dreading the eventual appearance of coronavirus in the country. This has now happened. The ministry of health recently announced that one case has been discovered. The International Rescue Committee said that more than half of Yemen’s health facilities are no longer functioning and 18 million people are without access to proper hygiene, water, and sanitation. Moreover, around 80% of the population, or 24 million people, rely on humanitarian assistance. As so often, there is not much you can do other than to donate money. If you have a few bucks to spare, consider donating to rescue.org Marsel | squiver.com

Marsel van Oosten: Photos