The disintegration in the structure of Yemeni society over the last decade has become difficult to fully comprehend, despite the ongoing discussions and debate about it. This debate, which has reached the point of dissection, is insufficient to describe the state of society, with its various segments and strata, all of which have collectively suffered countless hardships. So, when we attempt to describe these hardships and distribute them among these segments, it becomes evident that the distribution is unjust and unequal. One group has suffered more difficulties than others, and here I refer to the youth; those in their thirties, who once harbored grand dreams for the future but found themselves suddenly and shockingly, facing a reality that is hard to dismantle and deal with. They are drowning in a conflict whose foundations they did not create, becoming its first victims, in an environment where opportunities are nearly nonexistent and the future appears completely bleak. Nonetheless, they strive against overwhelming odds to carve out even the smallest space for themselves on the lowest rungs of life.
Working Without a Salary
Yemeni youth are willing to do whatever is required of them. Yet, their qualifications are insufficient to secure a decent job that matches their competence and provides a moderate living. They often have to accept lower wages or jobs beneath their qualifications; this is if they can find work at all. Many work without a salary, surviving on minimal allowances, which exacerbates the already high unemployment rate, which has reached unprecedented levels. Yemen already had a high unemployment rate, and the war has only worsened it, eliminating remaining opportunities. However, the officially available unemployment figures do not reflect the harsh reality, which raises questions about the reported unemployment rate of 17%, compared to about 14% in 2014. This slight increase does not reflect the actual situation, where large numbers of people, including those previously employed, have been laid off. Generally, a large percentage of the previous rate consists of young people. Every year, according to estimated figures, more than one hundred thousand individuals graduate from local and foreign universities, yet they find no employment opportunities, in either the public or private sectors, to absorb them.
The forms of suffering experienced by the youth in Yemen are diverse, encompassing various difficulties that hinder their access to employment opportunities. To clarify this clearly, we can compare the current situation to the pre-war period. Previously, a significant portion of the workforce—nearly one-third—was employed in government sectors. However, this has come to a near halt, especially in areas controlled by the Houthi group, which no longer pays salaries. The war has also significantly reduced investment in the commercial sector. There are no new investors entering the market, and the existing ones are not expanding their investments, which, could otherwise create new job opportunities. Furthermore, many sectors have been destroyed, leading to the dismissal of existing employees and the closure of opportunities for newcomers. This has created intense competition among the youth for any available opportunity, which is often provided by civil society organizations.
“The severe scarcity of job opportunities has led to various forms of exploitation, the most prevalent being volunteer work. With declining support for projects within civil society organizations, administrations have resorted to dubious means that significantly exploit youth. This often involves laying off their staff while retaining a project manager with a decent salary and hiring new interns to work on the project for a meager wage of no more than one hundred dollars, under the guise of volunteering and gaining experience. However, these interns are assigned full work responsibilities.”
Feeling of Disappointment
On this matter, scientific studies suggest that an individual's chance of securing a job for which he applies is around five percent on average globally, aiming to warn against feeling disappointed. However, in Yemen, this rate is even lower. For instance, a year ago, a local organization advertised a simple temporary job with a six-month contract and a very small salary of no more than three hundred dollars. The advertisement was supposed to remain open for about eleven days from the date of publication. Nevertheless, they closed the application link about four days before the deadline because the number of applicants exceeded what was reasonable and expected. I contacted employees in that organization to inquire about the reason for this step, and they explained that the number of applicants was overwhelming, forcing the committee to close the application to manage the numbers, which had exceeded three hundred applicants. This means that to secure the job, one would have to outperform three hundred other applicants, which is a realistic example of the excessive demand due to high unemployment rates and the scarcity of available opportunities.
Regardless of your field, it has become rare to find suitable opportunities aligned with your specialization. Personally, I've also had a somewhat shocking experience recently. Not long ago, a significant local entity announced the formation of a specific youth team under its sponsorship and that the selection would be through competition. Upon reviewing the very high criteria and requirements—especially since the opportunity required that the answers to some questions be no less than six hundred words, and I have the ability to write—I found it feasible to apply, believing my chances would be great. After all, I possess writing skills and certainly assumed that there wouldn't be a large number of individuals under the age of 35 capable of meeting such conditions. However, I was dismayed after applying to learn that nearly 1,200 people had also applied, and the selection process included geographical distribution across all Yemeni regions, ensuring remote provinces received their fair share of participation. Consequently, this measure significantly reduced my acceptance chances, especially as my province had many applicants. Additionally, there was also a quota for female participants, further reducing my chances. Considering these factors and assuming my application met all the requirements, my slim chance of being one in a thousand became much less.
Moreover, there is a near consensus in scientific studies about the psychological difficulties likely to affect a person experiencing a prolonged period of unemployment. However, aside from that, there are studies warning about the negative impacts of remaining in the same job and performing the same tasks for an extended and long period, as it can lead to negative outcomes, including depression and brain cell dysfunction. In normal circumstances, people unconsciously protect themselves from reaching this stage by naturally seeking new experiences. Instinctively, when they find no satisfaction in a job, they resign and seek new opportunities. If they stay in the same job for too long, they aspire to move to a higher position. It is natural for human nature to always aim and aspire for the next step. However, in Yemen, the intense competition for the few available job opportunities forces individuals to cling to any job they can get, no matter how unsuitable or unpleasant. They cannot afford to resign, no matter the harassment they face. The guilt they would feel, coupled with the criticism they would receive from everyone they know, makes them avoid such a decision. Even if they forgive themselves, their loved ones would not excuse someone who commits such a perceived foolishness against themselves, regardless of the justification, as the likelihood of remaining unemployed far outweighs the chances of transitioning to a new job.
Hostility Towards Certain Professions
Beyond the scarcity of opportunities caused by the war environment, the problem is intentionally exacerbated by the warring parties, with the Houthis being particularly notable for their antagonistic actions against certain professions. Many segments of society are employed in these professions, such as journalism, all forms of photography, and various civil jobs conducted individually or institutionally. It has become exceedingly difficult to perform these jobs due to the new complexities involving permits subject to arbitrary whims, lacking any acceptable legal framework. These practices have left a significant impact, contributing to the further disintegration of society and exacerbating the struggles faced by the young workforce in particular.
On the other hand, the severe scarcity of job opportunities has led to various forms of exploitation, the most prevalent being volunteer work. With declining support for projects within civil society organizations, administrations have resorted to dubious means that significantly exploit youth. This is often done by laying off regular employees while retaining project managers with a decent salary and then hiring new interns to work on the project for a meager wage of no more than one hundred dollars, under the guise of volunteering and gaining experience. However, these interns are assigned full work responsibilities. Thus, the completion of projects rests on their shoulders, and many of these young people prefer working without pay over remaining unemployed, motivated by the desire to gain experience and the hope of securing a job after the volunteering period. Often, organizations promise them employment contracts if their performance is outstanding. However, what typically happens is that they work for free for six months, only to be let go afterward and replaced by new volunteers for a set period, who are then similarly replaced. Thus, the organization's continuity relies on the efforts of young people who receive no financial compensation.
One aggravating factor of the scarcity of opportunities is that previously, young people used to receive continuous familial support, with the helping hand of family extended to them until they could stand on their own feet and achieve an independent and sufficient personal income. However, this cooperative societal value has significantly declined due to the inability of sponsoring families themselves to provide this need for their members. A large number of them have found themselves without salaries, with interrupted or reduced income. There is also a considerable proportion of household heads who have been pushed into unemployment after a long tenure in the job market and years of accumulated experience.
“The darkest aspect of the lack of opportunities for young people is their susceptibility to being easily recruited and exploited by the conflicting parties. It comes as no surprise that a significant majority of fighters in various factions are young people. Many of them have been driven by poverty and the desire for financial gain after all other avenues have been cut off. They found themselves unable to meet even the most basic life necessities and were compelled to join the conflict, fully aware of the dangers they face and the possibility of death at any moment. Yet they chose this path over starving to death in their homes.”
Quality of Qualification for Departees
Not only have job opportunities declined, but also educational and training opportunities such as courses, programs, and even events and activities once organized by some organizations where young people used to participate and benefit, enhancing their personal development and self-improvement. However, these opportunities have become exceedingly rare due to their decreased priority for civil society organizations. Additionally, there is increased restriction by political authorities, particularly in Houthi-controlled areas, where no activities are allowed without official permission, which is difficult to obtain due to their strict grip that does not tolerate any youth movement unless it serves their agenda, viewing it as a threat. These groups aim to create a closed space that reinforces their own ideas and culture.
Likewise, the darkest aspect of the lack of opportunities for young people is their susceptibility to being easily recruited and exploited by the conflicting parties. It comes as no surprise that a significant majority of fighters in various factions are young people. Many of them have been driven by poverty and the desire for financial gain after all other avenues have been cut off. They found themselves unable to meet even the most basic life necessities and were compelled to join the conflict, fully aware of the dangers they face and the possibility of death at any moment. Yet they chose this path over starving to death in their homes, gambling on the chance of survival, and receiving a meager amount at the end of each month that neither suffices nor benefits them. However, it was the dire need that drove them to this.
The negative feelings among Yemeni youth intensify when they witness the stark contrast between their country and the development in neighboring countries. With each update highlighting rising opportunities and growth in neighboring countries, their sense of despair deepens. It no longer seems reasonable to them that such a vast gap exists between the realities of countries that share borders, where conditions vary drastically. As much as it reinforces frustration, it has also prompted a considerable number of people to decide to migrate to neighboring countries, particularly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
It is true that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been the first destination for Yemenis for decades. However, the quality of qualification for those leaving has varied, and despite respect for all professions, businesses, levels, and classes of individuals, there is a clear fact that everyone who studies the youth scene will notice, which is that the quality of those leaving has varied. In the past, those going to the Saudi labor market were working in jobs that did not require any high qualifications, but those leaving now belong to the most skilled, qualified, and experienced in various fields. This has led to a significant depletion of the country's vital young workforce, following the loss of many of those who have been compelled to migrate, dispersing as refugees or residents across several European, Asian, and Arab countries.
Therefore, in the end, even if peace were to be achieved at this moment and the war ended, and life returned to a state better than it was previously, albeit this prospect remains distant for now, even if we were to assume the impossible happens and replaces the current dire situation with its complete opposite, who would compensate these individuals for years of loss, emptiness, and displacement? There are no feasible means to alleviate the psychological scars and damage they suffered, which are ingrained in their memories. Life is the time we spend, and these young people have lived nearly a third of their lives in a senseless conflict that has deprived them of experiencing the best years of their lives, leaving them with the harsh choice between enduring despair or seeking a harsh departure.
