Umm Ali, Deir Al-Bahri, Al-Zaidiyah District, Al-Hudaydah Governorate
Project Implementer: All Girls Foundation for Development (AGF)
Funding: Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF)

The Struggle for Water – A Price Paid by Women and Children

Life in Deir Al-Bahri village, Al-Zaidiyah District, Al-Hudaydah Governorate, once revolved around a single daily task: finding water. Before the intervention of the All Girls Foundation for Development, this task weighed heavily on women and children in particular, depriving them of the time and energy needed for a dignified life.
The village faced a severe crisis caused by the lack of diesel to operate water pumps, in addition to the difficult terrain that turned water collection into a dangerous journey. Every day, women and children spent long hours walking—often accompanied by donkeys—to carry heavy water containers.
Umm Ali recalls that period:
“Our entire day was lost in fetching water. We lived in constant fear for our children’s safety from falling and getting injured. We had no time to care for our homes or do any other work.”
The suffering grew to include the economic aspect as well, as local farms stopped operating due to the lack of fuel for pumps. This increased the pressure on families and worsened the village’s food security situation.
A Decisive Intervention: A Sustainable Achievement in Al-Zaidiyah
With funding from the Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF), the All Girls Foundation launched the “Basic WASH services for displaced persons' communities" project. The intervention was designed to create a sustainable and long-term solution by installing solar-powered water pumps to ensure a continuous water supply—completely overcoming dependence on diesel—along with the construction of large concrete water towers. This was followed by the installation of an internal pipeline network to deliver water directly to every household in the village.
Today, Umm Ali and the other women of Deir Al-Bahri are free from the burden of carrying water. Water now flows simply by turning on a tap inside their homes.
Umm Ali, a beneficiary from Deir Al-Bahri, testifies to this transformation, saying:
“Now we feel blessed and dignified. Water is available and safe to drink inside our homes. My children are safe from danger, and I have my time back. I no longer carry water over long distances—thank God.”
A Profound Impact on Family Life
Umm Ali’s story reflects the deep humanitarian impact of the All Girls Foundation’s intervention, supported by YHF—where the provision of water became a restoration of dignity and a comprehensive improvement in quality of life.