Yemeni journalist Nabil Al-Sharabi, finding other means to make a living
Another year has passed and unfortunately, we witness another International Human Rights Day that comes at a time when the human rights situation across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has only worsened. Despite all the sacrifices being made by human rights defenders and other activists on the ground, in addition to all the work being done by the international human rights organisations, we find that more people are being targeted for their legitimate and peaceful human rights activities, or expressing opinions or calling for basic human rights.
On the one hand, we at the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) cover the most horrific cases, and of those there are a lot in this region, but we also do not want other less obvious violations to go unnoticed. And while we recognise the horrible conditions on this day, we also want to show our respect for the resilience of people in this region, not only that they are victims.
On this International Human Rights Day, we have chosen to focus on the cases of thousands of Yemeni journalists who have lost their incomes and jobs, but more importantly the professions they had hoped to serve their country through. We cover their cases not by speaking of the numbers of journalists or the areas they come from, but as an organisation that is from the region and represents it, we choose to hear directly from them through reports and films.
GCHR would like to share the stories of four proud journalists who due to the terrible conditions in Yemen have been forced to take different professions in order to survive. Whether it’s by washing cars, or making dolls or selling flowers, what we noticed most in these films is the perseverance and strength of the people featured.
We also share with you a report entitled “Yemeni Journalists: “The Battle Against the Trio of Hunger, Fear and Disease”, which is a series of quotes from Yemeni journalists on the ground speaking about the challenges they are facing currently.
Yemeni author Atiaf Al-Wazir pointed out in a recent event that Yemenis must be proud of all the resilience they have, and we believe these films and quotes showcase that resilience. We also hope that the international community will do more to protect the people of Yemen and the region.
