“On the rare occasion that the world focuses on Yemen, there is this tendency to either support one party over the other,” she said. If people really wanted to support the Yemenis, they would call for accountability on all sides.” Hadil Almowafak, Yemeni in California “On the rare occasion that the world focuses on Yemen, there is this tendency to either support one party over the other. In other videos, Mowafak talks about the Houthis (the main group fighting in Yemen), or about US foreign policy in Yemen. Related: Saudi Arabia is 'desperate to get out' of Yemen's yearslong civil war That’s why I chose this medium,” she said. “I realized that comedy is one of the best ways to transfer messages to people across the political divide. She looks into the camera directly and reads the headline: “Breaking news: In one-of-a-kind incident in Yemen, a Yemeni citizen dares to enjoy life.” In one, posted in May 2020, she plays the role of a news anchor. So, at the start of the pandemic, Mowafak decided to film a series of videos about the war and post them on YouTube. Mowafak said it can be difficult to get the world to pay attention to the ongoing war in Yemen. There was broken glass everywhere, she said. She was unhurt, but her home was damaged. Later, Adeimi’s mother was able to reach her aunt on a landline. It could cut off humanitarian aid to millions. Related: A rusting oil tanker off Yemen’s coast is at risk of exploding. “Messages were left unread, everybody just went silent online.” “Messages were left unread, everybody just went silent online.” Shireen al-Adeimi, Michigan State University’s College of Education, assistant professor “It was actually across the street from the telecommunications buildings, and she had to be rescued in the middle of the airstrikes by another cousin.”Īfter the attacks, she lost touch with her family. “One of the airstrikes was close to my mom’s aunt’s house,” she said. Her mother was on the phone with a relative, and their call was interrupted as the bombs fell on Friday. She is an assistant professor at Michigan State University’s College of Education. It’s been a stressful couple of days for Shireen al-Adeimi as well. “I’ve been concerned the whole time, just not knowing what’s going on,” Mowafak said. At least 60 people were killed in the attack, including three children.ĭuring the blackout, Yemenis in diaspora, like Mowafak, a research fellow with the Yemen Policy Center, a think tank based in Germany, are desperately trying to get news about their loved ones. The Saudi-led coalition carried out airstrikes in Yemen last Friday, hitting two separate targets: a detention center, where migrants are held, and a telecommunications tower, cutting off internet access for most of the country for four days. Related: US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking says the solution to the war in Yemen is diplomatic, not militaristic Now, it seems the conflict is escalating. A seven-year war has devastated the people and the economy. Mowafak describes her brother, who has a wife and kids, as “just a normal guy, trying to live a normal life.”īut life in Yemen is far from normal. Usually, she touches base with him pretty regularly. Until recently, Hadil al-Mowafak, a Yemeni who lives in California, hadn’t heard from her brother who lives in Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, in days.
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