Yemeni children attend Eid celebrations at the Martyr Abdulaziz School, south of Taez city, on June 26, 2017. Nasser Alskkaf for The National​
Yemeni children attend Eid celebrations at the Martyr Abdulaziz School, south of Taez city, on June 26, 2017. Nasser Alskkaf for The National​

Eid joy for children in war-torn Yemen



ADEN // Ten-year-old Norhan Mustafa used to spend Eid at the park with his family in previous years. But after his father lost his job as a nurse last year, the family stopped going to the park as they can no longer afford the transportation costs or entrance fees.

Norhan’s story is shared by thousands of children across Yemen, with the country wracked by high unemployment due to the war and families left barely able to make ends meet.

This Eid, in an effort to bring some cheer to local children, social workers and volunteers across the south-western province of Taez organised special celebrations.

Free for any child to attend, these events included singing, dancing, competitions and other activities.

Norhan was able to attend one such celebration at the Martyr Abdulaziz School, south of Taez city, the provincial capital. One of the organisers of the event, Ammar Gamal, 20, said he and his friends decided to put on the celebrations to help children in the city feel as though this Eid was the same as in any other year.

"Eids are the time to feel happy and forget all sufferings and problems we face," Mr Gamal told The National. "Children always want to play, jump and dance to express their happiness and if they could not do that, of course they would feel how the war affects their life."

“We do not want the war to reach children.”

Norhan said it was the first time he had attended such an event, which included a talent show. “It is fantastic as we can sing, dance and play,” he added.

Since Norhan’s father, Mustafa Al Qershi, 40, became unemployed in October, the family has lived hand to mouth.

“I thought that the most important thing for children during Eid is new clothes,” Mr Al Qershi said.

He eventually managed to scrape together some money to buy new clothes for his children to wear during Eid - something that would have been a given in previous years.

But after buying them new clothes this year, he found that something else was amiss.

“I realised that my children could not [simply] wear their clothes and stay at home; they needed to play and enjoy Eid as well,” he said.

Pro-government forces, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, are still battling to fully retake Taez province from Iran-supported Houthi rebels, with clashes not letting up even during Eid.

Another child who visited the celebration at the Martyr Abdulaziz School was 11-year-old Ameera Moneer. She said this was the first year her family could not travel to neighbouring Hodeidah province for Eid to visit the families of her uncles and grandfathers.

“Every year we travel to celebrate Eid in Hodeidah where I have a great time playing with my cousins, but we could not travel there this year as the main route to Hodeidah is closed” due to fighting, she said.

The only way of reaching Hodeidah from Taez now - through mountainous terrain - is dangerous due to fighting close by and takes more than 14 hours, rather than the usual six.

Ameera said she was very disappointed that she could not spend Eid with her relatives. But when she found out about the celebration at the Martyr Abdulaziz School, she was overjoyed.

“When I knew about the celebration I longed to attend it and when I went, I was really happy to share happiness with my friends,” she said. “We have all played together, dancing and spending a beautiful time.”

“I hope this happens again next Eid,” she said smiling.

foreign.desk@thenational.ae

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The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes. 
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com