Shujairah is located in the southeast of the Governorate of Hodeidah. It is part of the Duraihemi district and home to 1575 inhabitants.  Shujairah is close to the highway connecting the Governorate of Hodeidah with the coastal city of Mokha, along the coastal strip- 18 kilometers away from the coast. Geographically, Shujairah is a coastal area being very close to the coastal strip of the Governorate of Hodeidah.

Economic Decline

The residents of the village rely on fishing and palm growing as their main economic activities. Shujairah is connected to Nukhailah, an area known for its palm growing. The current crises had left a negative impact on  livelihoods and sources of income for the residents who rely mostly on fishing and agriculture.

IDP’s who were displaced from the nearby Al-Nakhilah to Shujairah face an even worse situation. According to the local council in the area, there are about 400 displaced families consisting of 2520 people. They mostly live in a camp which lacks the most basic needs- the camp lacks proper sanitation and drinking water supply.

The Nakhilah IDP’s have been stranded in the camp and are forced to sleep on the bare sand with only palm leaves over their heads to protect them from the hot sun rays and sandstorms. Some huts have no roofs and have nothing to protect them from the scorching summer sun, a season fast approaching.

From the Field

 Faisal Husain, 30, who is head of a household consisting of three sons and a wife, and Ali Hussain, 45, heads a family of four daughters, three boys and his wife both describe their situation in the camp as very harsh. The existing water network, which was built in 1984, is very old and dilapidated and doesn’t cover all homes. Moreover, the 50 cubic meter water tank is insufficient for the needs of the camp’s residents. Women, their children and the elderly gather around the distribution point to fetch water, and then carry back the containers on their heads or shoulders to their homes.

PWP Steps in to Alleviate the Suffering

PWP investigated the problem and decided to make an intervention to alleviate the suffering. It decided to build a 400 meter long water network and add an additional 50 cubic meter water tank to meet the needs of the people. This service and development project aimed at meeting the need of the local people, as well as IDP’s. During the construction phase, the project provided temporary work and a source of income for a number of IDP’s.