Sharing to Survive: Investigating the Role of Social Networks During Yemen’s Humanitarian Crisis

Following over seven years of conflict, over 20 million Yemenis—66% of the population—are in need of assistance. Nonetheless, the humanitarian response in Yemen remains severely underfunded. So how are Yemenis coping? Experts on food security, research from other contexts, and Yemenis themselves have pointed to an obvious but under-recognized answer: social connections and networks.

Drawing on in-depth interviews with nearly 150 households in the Taiz governorate and global subject matter experts, this study examines the ways in which Yemenis have relied on their social networks to survive.