I remember vividly the moment when the war erupted. My family had to move, and everyone went to a different part of the country. We tried as much as possible to check on the lives of one another from time to time. This was the most difficult and unexpected period of my life.
We left our house and everything behind. Due to the war, there was no security, and crimes, such as abduction and assassination, increased significantly. Therefore, I was forced to drop out of school for two years. It breaks my heart because I love education. I always achieved high marks. I only managed to return to school this year. I’m in my last year of high school, but I’m supposed to be a first-year university student.
When we moved to Aden [a port city in southwestern Yemen], our life changed completely. We used to live in a rural area where life was quiet and peaceful. Back home people got along with each other very easily, but in Aden, things seem different.
Coexistence is hard in Aden where internally displaced people come from different areas. The hardship of living in an ongoing conflict has led people to not trust each other, even made people angry. I’m still not able to adapt to this new situation. Even my mother tells me not to trust anybody. “We don’t know them, be careful and stay away from them,” my mother says.
Basic services, like education and healthcare, are collapsing or not available, which has affected me as a student. For example, electricity is intermittent, and this is particularly a problem during exam days, as I am forced to study under the phone flashlight. Yet, when I explain this problem to my teachers, they don’t seem to understand it.