Christian parents face pressure to provide amid renewed warfare in Yemen
The ongoing Yemeni Civil War between the Internationally Recognized Government (IRG) forces and Houthi forces has intensified recently, with negative consequences for Yemen’s Christian population.
After a brief lull in fighting, conflict resumed between the IRG and Houthi in September, killing 400 people as the Houthi fought for control of Marib. Houthi forces have also fought IRG and Al-Qaeda forces in Al-Baydha, exacerbating the ongoing conflict. Amid the war and its devastating effects on material and spiritual well-being, Yemeni Christan parents face especial pressure to provide for their children, given the intense climate of fear.
Christians in Yemen face extreme persecution, and Yemen ranks 7th on Open Doors’ World Watch List of countries that persecute Christians. Most Yemeni Christians keep their faith hidden, as leaving Islam is forbidden in Yemen.
Persecution of Christians in the country comes from a variety of factors, including the dominance of Islam in the nation, the ongoing civil war, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which unequally distributed aid to citizens by going primarily through Muslim networks.
Source: persecution.org