Hadramaut - As the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to exacerbate in Yemen, the total number of cases and the mortality rate remain unknown. To help Yemenis respond to the pandemic, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) partnered with Al-Shaheed Bin Habreesh Foundation for Development to produce 50,000 face masks in Hadramaut through support from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief).

“I participated in the mask sewing activity in Al Etihad sewing centre. We were twenty women, and each one of us made as many masks as she could in one week. I have a small daughter, so I could only make 30 masks and was paid for that,” explained Om Ibraheem Ginnah, a displaced mother of four from Sana’a.

“I bought fabric and materials with the money I received, and I plan to make masks and sell them now that I know how to make them properly,” added Om Ibraheem.

Sixty women from the displaced population and the communities hosting them in Sayun, Tarim and Al Qatn districts produced the face masks, taking a leadership role in their communities’ response to COVID-19. These women received training on sewing in general and to producing face masks in specific.

“We wanted to help build local knowledge of mask making in Hadramaut, as the number of reported COVID-19 positive cases is higher there than other governorates,” said Nawwar Alnamry, IOM transition and recovery team member in Hadramaut.

“It was important that we spread the awareness about COVID-19 mitigation measures during this critical time. This activity also improved the participants’ incomes, many of whom were displaced women,” added Nawwar.

Upon producing the masks, the participants received incentives. The masks then were distributed by the implementing partner in coordination with IOM to the various government offices and among the local community in locations such as the Sayun International Airport, hospitals, universities, local markets, displacement sites and migrant settlements.

Apart from the mask making activity, IOM and KSrelief supported the production of 10,000 bottles of hand sanitizers in Hadramaut, implementation of community awareness campaigns through loudspeakers, as well as awareness raising and training of key community stakeholders on COVID-19 prevention measures, which helped build the community’s capacity to tackle the spread of the virus. In total, 310 people, including youth volunteers, educators, and local community influencers, were trained on COVID-19 prevention measures and are now enabled to conduct awareness raising among their own community.

For more information, please contact IOM Yemen: 

• Arabic: Mennatallah Homaid, Tel: +967739888755, Email: mhomaid@iom.int  
• English: Olivia Headon, Tel: +251926379755, WhatsApp: +967730552233 Email: oheadon@iom.int