Hidden from view: The world’s silent emergencies

While some humanitarian crises remain in the headlines, others are pushed aside. Away from the media spotlight, refugees are enduring emergencies in Sudan, Yemen and beyond.

Hawa, 40, was preparing breakfast for her family when deadly fighting broke out in her hometown in Sudan’s Blue Nile State.  

There was no time to pack. She fled on foot with her children and her 80-year-old mother while gunshots rang out from the mountains. It took them three hours to reach the Ethiopian border.  

Hawa is among the millions of people trapped in silent emergencies around the world. From families fleeing terrifying violence in Sudan, to Rohingya refugees living in overcrowded conditions in Bangladesh – no one should have to suffer in silence.

Keeping hope alive

Despite the tremendous challenges they face, refugees are resourceful. In her makeshift shelter in Kurmuk near the Ethiopian border, Hawa is making crispy Sudanese falafel. She sells her falafel to buy food and soap.

Despite her hard work, Hawa still struggles to provide meals for her family. She hopes the conflict ends soon so she can give her children a better life.

“I hope my children can get a quality education and live in a safe environment where they can access healthcare,” she says.

The forgotten crisis in Yemen

After a decade of civil war, families in Yemen have nothing left.  

Mohammed Saleh, 9, fled the conflict with his family. They now live in a makeshift camp in Lahj, southern Yemen, with another 35 families. The closest water source is 15km away. There are no toilets or showers and most of the children don’t go to school.  

Although it is one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, Yemen is frequently forgotten. The funding gap for this silent emergency has only grown wider in recent years, with dire consequences.

Camps for displaced families are overcrowded, the health system is crumbling, and hunger and poverty are rampant. More than six million people are facing extreme food shortages and acute malnutrition – many of them children under five, pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers. 

“We mustn’t forget about the plight of those desperately in need in Yemen,” says Maya Ameratunga, UNHCR Representative in Yemen. “This crisis has touched every family across the country. Far too many have lost their homes, their loved ones and their livelihoods.”  

Your support in action

UNHCR’s dedicated teams are meeting refugees like Hawa at Sudan’s borders and providing relief items such as sleeping mats, hygiene kits and cooking utensils. We are transporting refugees to safer areas and distributing cash assistance, so they can buy essentials such as food and medicine.

In Yemen, your generous donation can provide life-saving shelter, water and healthcare to families like Mohammed’s – but we can’t do it alone. Just 24 per cent of UNHCR’s work in Yemen is funded, which means most families aren’t getting the help they need. 

With your generous support, UNHCR can provide:

• Shelter: Distributing plastic sheets, blankets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets and repairing shelters
• Aid items: Providing relief items including kitchen kits, soap, buckets, and jerry cans
• Cash assistance:  Helping people cover everyday essentials, including food, clothing, medicine and rent
• Livelihoods : Supporting vocational training and small businesses.  

Your generous donation can give essential aid and hope to refugees trapped in the world’s silent emergencies. Please let them know they haven’t been forgotten.

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