Sections type: Photo Essay

The FIFA 2022 Men’s World Cup began in Doha, Qatar, on November 20. Yemenis across the country came together to show their love for football and watch the first World Cup held in the Arab World.

Photographer Ahmed al-Basha visited the Ibrahim Aqeel School on the western outskirts of Taiz city, which became a battleground when Houthi forces tried to seize control of nearby Taiz University in 2016. Artillery fire, landmines and other explosive devices destroyed some of the school’s buildings and severely damaged others. Still, finding no other nearby options, the school’s 800 students, boys…

Heavy seasonal rains in July and August caused flash flooding across Yemen, cutting roads, destroying homes and crops, shifting minefields, and causing a number of deaths. The floods have affected more than 16,000 internally displaced families, who live in rudimentary shelters unable to withstand harsh weather. Many Yemeni houses are built from mud, increasing their susceptibility to structural damage from…

After more than seven years of war, football remains one of the few areas that can unite Yemenis, with training camp for the country’s under-20 men’s national team, which began May 17, drawing players to Marib city from northern and southern governorates. Marib was chosen for the facilities it has available, while players were selected based on their participation in…

Aden, the internationally backed Yemeni government’s temporary capital, makes only the slightest pretense of accepting the authority of President Abdo Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Local government offices dutifully display the president’s photo, but it is the old South Yemen flag that hangs above the main doors and throughout the city, that is painted on walls and sewn on the uniforms of…