Hisham Mohamed Saleh promised to treat his children to sweets and candies after iftar – the meal Muslims eat after a long day of fasting during Ramadan – but with skyrocketing poverty and inflation rates, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to spoil them much further.
For more than three years, Houthi rebels have besieged Yemen’s second-largest city of Taiz, putting more than 200,000 civilians like as the Saleh family in harm’s way.
Most of the city has been thrust into poverty, with frequent reports of food and water shortages and hospitals struggling to function without access to medical supplies.
“Despite the siege and the tough situation, Ramadan is always a happy moment,” Saleh, a father of three, told Al Jazeera.
“We enjoy the month and so do our children, despite the shells landing on our streets.”
Throughout the Muslim world, the holy month has been celebrated as a joyful and spiritual occasion, with special meals and tasty treats prepared at sunset.
But with more than 75 percent of all Yemenis – or about 22 million people – in need of aid, and seven million facing famine, Saleh hopes this year’s Ramadan will usher in a temporary truce and spare thousands from death.
The article published on Al Jazeera
