A Yemeni man checks his name before voting in the old city of Sana'a, Feb. 21, 2012. While the majority participated in the election, many opted out; they declared it a false show of democracy since Hadi was the only candidate.
A scene of Change Square in Sana'a the night before the elections Feb 20, 2012.
Yemenis protest on 60 Street, Sana'a, March 14, 2012. In addition to the routine Friday marches, Yemenis continue to organize gatherings named according to their demands: restructuring the military, replacing government officials, and demanding Saleh's prosecution.
A Yemeni women voted in a classroom turned voting center, Sana'a, Feb. 21, 2012. While women's roles in Yemeni society are typically restricted, they played a crucial role in the revolution throughout the country. Leaders include Nobel Peace Prize winner and champion of women's rights, Tawakul Karman.
Young boys climb on the roof of a house in the old city of Sana'a, Feb. 22, 2012. Water tanks adorn the roofs and gardens of houses in the old city: this section received water only twice a month during the revolution.
Women hang the southern flag on the steps to Sira Fortress in Aden, Yemen on March 2, 2012. Many citizens of the south are once again calling for separation.
Displaced citizens from the city of Jaar in Abyan province wander the halls of their temporary home: a school in Aden, March 6, 2012. Ansar al Sharia, the Yemen branch of Al Qaeda, has taken over much of Abyan, displacing thousands to schools and empty buildings in neighboring Aden. They have little access to food or regular services.
Young boys run near the fish market in Aden, March 4, 2012. Before 1990 Yemen was divided into North and South. Now 22 years after unification, the south is crying for separation once again, saying the north exploits their resources, including the strategic port of Aden.
Streets in Aden, a main port city in the south, are covered in the flags of South Yemen. Once illegal, they are now ubiquitous throughout the city. March 3, 2012.
A man walks through the street of Aden at night. Flags and slogans of South Yemen are around every corner. March 3, 2012.
Two Yemeni men talk after a day of fishing in Aden. An important port city, Aden has recently become more volatile with the Southern movment and the threat of Al Qaeda to the east. March 4, 2012.
A Yemeni woman holds her malnourished child in Basateen, a camp for refugees and IDP's. Due to Al Qaeda taking over multiple cities in neighboring Abyan Province, thousands of Yemenis now live in camps and schools in Aden. March 5, 2012.
Yemenis buy qat at the open-air market in Hodeidah, April 14, 2012. While not inherently harmful, qat takes enormous amounts of land, water, and money to cultivate, all of which could go toward feeding families, farming edible crops, or used in sustainable areas of the economy. Many Yemenis spend large parts of their income on qat, some as much as 50%.
Yemen men watch television in the Change Square in Hodeidah, Yemen. April 13, 2012. Hodeidah is one of the poorest regions of Yemen, and many say the revolution did nothing for them.
A young girl runs through the Change Square in Hodeidah, Yemen. April 13, 2012. Hodeidah is one of the poorest regions of Yemen, and many say the revolution did nothing for them.
A community health worker checks a malnourished child in Khowakhia, a village outside Beit al Faqih, Yemen, April 14, 2012. Hodeidah has the highest rate of malnutrition in Yemen, largely due to lack of rain, fuel prices, and lack of access to medical facilities. UNICEF estimated 31% of children under five have Global Acute Malnutrition; this number is more than double the emergency threshold established by relief agencies.
Yemeni men talk and tend to their camels in Beit al Faqih. Many come from villages not connected by roads, where income is low and the only work is making and selling goods locally, April 13, 2012. While not as politically troubled as the rest of Yemen, Hudaydah is plagued by malnutrition and the struggle to pay for life necessities.
Yemeni teenagers jump into the sea in Hodeidah, April 14, 2012. Hodeidah is one of the most impoverished provinces, with most of its citizens working in local industry or agriculture. Like the rest of Yemen, over 50% of its citizens are under 18 years old, and many of them unemployed. With a growth rate of 3.3%, Yemen's population is set to double by 2025, putting a greater burden on the already strained economy.
In the Old City of Sana'a, a Yemeni boy walks through an area where many people gather water. During the revolution, prices for food, fuel, and water skyrocketed, further exacerbating the crises of malnutrition. April 2, 2012.
Farmers cultivate their land in the middle of Sana'a, April 11, 2012. Effects of the revolution extended beyond injured protestors and disrupted government: the lack of rain in 2011, soaring prices, and a monopoly on petrol all contributed to malnutrition and daily shortages for Yemeni families.
Men in Sana'a, Yemen walk over a bridge to the old city while an airplane passes overhead. April 2, 2012. An increased number of drone strikes by the United States is causing further unrest.
Three Yemen men pose for a portrait in a dark street during a power outage. Power outages - caused either by tribes bombing power lines or possible government shut-offs - can last anywhere from a few hours to days on end. April 4, 2012.
A mother and father wave to their children at the local theme park in Sana'a. March 14, 2012. Despite reports of violence in the north and south, life goes on.
Yemeni youth gather for a snack in Change Square, Sana'a, February 20, 2012. Even months after the departure of Saleh, thousands of Yemenis still live in Change Square.
In Change Square, Yemeni men view the newly built memorial to the 'martyrs' of March 18th, on April 6, 2012.
Yemeni men walk outside the Saleh Mosque, a place of worship capable of holding 40,000 people at a cost of 60 million USD. It i s a constant reminder for Sana'ani's of Salehs continued presence in the country. April 11, 2012.
Yemeni's gather in Sana'a to commemorate the anniversary of March 18 ''Friday of Dignity''. On this day in 2011, assumed government troops fired on unarmed protesters killing over fifty people, including children. Sana'a, March 18, 2012.
“Do not sigh, for your enemy will hear and rejoice” –Yemeni Proverb
In 2011, many countries of the Arab world erupted in never-ending scenes of uprisings, protest, and dissent. The age of digital media allowed the outside world to witness the daily details of conflict throughout the Middle East. Except in Yemen. Tight restrictions placed on the media and deportation of many journalists restricted the access of the outside world to the injustice, bravery, and change occurring throughout Yemen in 2011. The scale of coverage in Yemen paled in comparison to places like Egypt and Libya. The revolution in Yemen was broadcast from afar, and mostly by the written word.
As hundreds were killed during riots, when the government waged war on its own people, when tribal militias and rebels fought against the government troops, and when Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced out of the presidency – very few outside Yemen viewed these key moments of the revolution. I recently spent two months in Yemen, documenting the time around and immediately after the election of new President Abed Rabbo Mansur Hadi. With the help of the Inge Morath Foundation, I hope to return. It is important that those outside Yemen see the strength of the Yemeni people steadfast through the challenges ahead as international attention wanes once again.
Yemen has long been overlooked and avoided by the outside world. The poor and underdeveloped nation is a refuge for thousands from Somalia, is often treated as a footstool by Saudi Arabia, and known to the West as the ancestral homeland of Osama Bin Ladin. Yet, after two months in Yemen this past year, I have begun to explore the depth and breadth of what drives Yemen, what motivates its people to move forward, and the challenges it still faces in the two years President Hadi will be in office.
President Hadi must reform the government and military, which is still saturated with people from Saleh’s family. Nearly half a million people are internally displaced: in the north due to the sectarian Houthi Rebellion, and the south due to Al-Qaeda militancy. A famine is looming in the western Tihama, and Sana’a may run out of water in less than ten years. Though women played an instrumental role in the revolution, their role and influence in Yemeni society is still very limited.
Through this work, I hope to bring forth the spirit of the Yemeni people – courage in a hopeless situation, a deep yet unassuming national pride, and warm generosity. The prevailing force in Yemen is at the heart of its people, not in the news of Al Qaeda and violence, but in the nation wide inner strength.
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