After the ‘martyr’s’ funeral: The families left behind by Yemen’s war

Sanaa, Yemen – Pickups carrying the bodies of Houthi fighters occasionally travel through the streets of Sanaa. Alongside them in the back, gunmen accompany the fallen fighters on their final journey to the cemetery.

A song known as “Our martyrs are our greats” echoes loudly from the moving vehicles, drawing the attention of passersby. At the cemetery, mourners solemnly pay their respects to the fallen fighters and show solidarity with their families.

Funerals of fighters have been a recurring sight in Yemen over the past few weeks.

Earlier this month, the Yemeni government said its forces killed or wounded 1,540 Houthis in 24 hours. Last week, the government said 16,100 Houthi operatives and commanders had been killed or wounded since October 5.

Houthis have also killed hundreds of pro-government troops over the past few weeks, with an October 19 missile attack on a security camp in Shabwa killing more than 70 government soldiers.

While the families of the deceased fighters receive fleeting public tributes at cemeteries, their grief and loss endure long after the funerals. For them, life has become more difficult, economic hardships have deepened and sorrow is a constant companion.

“The martyrdom of my brother, Abdulaziz, on October 10 broke us and robbed us of peace of mind. We could smile to hide our pain, but our hearts are filled with bottomless grief,” Akram, a 23-year-old resident of Sanaa, told Al Jazeera.

Abdulaziz, 21, was killed in Dhubab, in southwestern Yemen, while fighting alongside the Houthi group, two months after being recruited, Akram said.

‘Losing my pillar of strength’

Before Abdulaziz went to the front line, the two brothers worked in Sanaa as daily-wage workers in construction or agriculture. When they managed to get work, they pooled their earnings to cover the living expenses of their six-member family. That made the family’s financial difficulties “manageable”, said Akram.

Today, he struggles without his brother and covering the family’s basic needs has become a harder task.

“I lost my pillar of strength, Abdulaziz. His income, along with mine, used to cover water, electricity and food expenses. Without him, I am like a bird with one wing, burdened by so many responsibilities,” said Akram.

Over the past few days, petrol and diesel prices have risen by 10 percent in Houthi-controlled northwestern Yemen, adding to the cost of basic goods and increasing pressure on struggling families, such as Akram’s.

“When it comes to paying the fees for water, electricity, or buying groceries, it does not matter if your relative is a martyr or not. You have to pay or starve to death,” said Akram.

In recent months, Yemen has faced a major escalation in fighting between Saudi-backed government forces and the Iran-aligned Houthi group that controls parts of the country.

The latest escalation “threatens to be absolutely devastating” for food security, said the World Food Programme’s Assistant Executive Director for Programme Operations, Matthew Hollingworth, earlier this month.

“We are looking at a hunger crisis that is going to grow as it persists,” Hollingworth added.

The Houthis seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in September 2014 and subsequently took control of much of northern and western Yemen. Since then, the conflict has remained unresolved.

‘A misery for the whole family’

Like many other deceased fighters’ families in Houthi-controlled areas, Houthi authorities gave Akram’s family a food basket, which included flour, cooking oil, rice and sugar.

However, the supply of food or financial assistance is irregular, Sanaa-based Ali Yahia, a 55-year-old father of a deceased fighter, told Al Jazeera.

“My son was killed four years ago on the Saudi-Yemen border when he was fighting for the Sanaa-based government. Since then, I have received food baskets at different times. Sometimes, I receive them twice a year or thrice a year, or four times a year,” he said.

For Yahia, this support is insufficient, and he argues that “fair compensation” would be a monthly salary of $200 at least. “This amount of money would help a family cover the basics each month,” he said.

Yahia has two other sons who support him. One is a delivery rider in Sanaa and the other works at a restaurant.

“With their support, my living conditions have improved. But if a family depends on a fighter’s income, the death of the fighter sparks a living and psychological ordeal for the whole family,” he said.

According to the World Food Programme, 18.3 million people across Yemen face severe food insecurity, while 2.2 million children under five suffer from acute malnutrition.

‘Too many martyrs’

As the number of fighters killed on the front lines rises, the authorities’ ability to support bereaved families is increasingly stretched, Ali Mohammed, a Houthi representative in Sanaa, told Al Jazeera.

“Martyrs today are too many and their families deserve due support. However, the rising number of martyrs affects the level of support they receive. Assistance is distributed so that every family gets some,” said Mohammed.

He argued that the “complete Houthi victory will lead to stability in the country and this will give authorities a better opportunity to look after the families of the martyrs.” He added: “This will take time”.

On October 25, the Sanaa-based Houthi Ministry of Youth and Sports commemorated Martyrs’ Day in the presence of many Houthi officials.

During the event, the group’s Undersecretary for the Sports Sector, Ali Hadban, emphasised the importance of observing the occasion to “draw inspiration from the lessons of sacrifice and selflessness, and to reflect on the enduring legacies of the martyrs who defended the nation”.

He noted that the victories achieved across various fronts are the direct result of the sacrifices made by “these noble martyrs”, emphasising the need to provide support and care for their families.

At the end of 2021, the UN estimated that 377,000 people had been killed directly or indirectly by the war in Yemen. The recent return of fighting has claimed more lives.

The continued burden

Adel Dashela, researcher at the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies, described the public celebration of fallen fighters as “an alien practice” that emerged during the war.

“This practice reflects the normalisation of violence and encourages children to risk their lives and die under various sectarian and political slogans. Yemenis did not witness this phenomenon until the Houthi group took control of the capital, Sanaa,” Dashela told Al Jazeera.

Families may be encouraged to participate in these rituals and may find themselves compelled to do so under social and political pressure, he said. “The reality, however, is that public displays of honour do not alleviate families’ suffering. Instead, the social, psychological and financial consequences of their loss remain their burden to bear.”

In many cases, women and children assume responsibility for supporting their families after the death of the breadwinner.

“Thus, women and children bear the real cost of these losses, while public celebrations remain detached from their everyday realities and the ongoing suffering of bereaved families,” Dashela added.