Sharing to Survive: The Role of Social Networks during the Yemen Crisis

Seven years into the conflict, 20 million Yemenis remain in need of assistance. Yet the humanitarian response in Yemen remains severely underfunded. In light of predicted humanitarian funding shortfalls and unprecedented scale of need, aid actors in Yemen are learning to do more with less. Working with and strengthening informal local support systems is therefore more important than ever. 

This topic is at the crux of a central challenge faced by humanitarian actors: how can assistance best support people’s existing strategies for coping and recovery in crises? It is also critical to questions around localization, in this instance, the actions of local community members and their social networks rather than local humanitarian organizations.

The Resilience, Evaluation, Analysis and Learning (REAL) award invites you to a panel discussion on new Mercy Corps research on the role of Yemeni households’ informal social protection networks and their contributions to resilience in the face of an onslaught of shocks and stresses. Findings are based on a recent REAL report which investigated, through interviews with nearly 150 households in Taiz governorate and global experts, how households have utilized their social connections to meet immediate needs, seek safe refuge and passage, and access key forms of psychosocial support.

Panelists will present research findings and explore how donors, policymakers, and practitioners can help strengthen informal support networks as part of their broader humanitarian efforts.

The event will be held in English and Arabic with simultaneous interpretation.