Life at the bottom of Yemen's social ladder

A boy lies in a baby hammock in his family's hut in the Akhdam community in Yemen's western port city of Houdieda.

Children from the Akhdam community play in a slum area in Sanaa.

A girl collects water from a makeshift well in the Akhdam community in Houdieda.

A man from the Akhdam community cooks chicken feet outside his hut in Houdieda.

A girl carries a jerry can filled with water she collected from a makeshift well in Houdieda.

A boy plays on a makeshift swing near a slum area of the Akhdam community, where he lives.

Women stand by the door of their hut.

A man from the Akhdam community sleeps on the side of a street.

A woman from the Akhdam community carries her son.

A boy stands at the door of his family's hut.

A woman applies traditional Henna dye on the legs of her daughters.

A man poses for a photo with his grandchildren in their hut in a slum area.

A boy stands at the door of his family's hut in Yemen's western port city of Houdieda.

Yemeni Akhdam, or servants, are similar to hereditary castes, but are distinguished by their African features and the menial jobs they perform.

Widespread prejudice places the Akhdam at the bottom of Yemen's social ladder.

Asked about the origins of the Akhdam, Yemenis say they are descendants of Ethiopians who crossed the Red Sea to conquer Yemen before the arrival of Islam some 1,400 years ago - making them outsiders in their own country.

Most live in slum areas in the outskirts of the capital Sanaa and other main cities. They reside in small huts haphazardly built of wood and cloth, without basic services such as running water, electricity and sewage networks.

* Reuters