Over the summer, Monmouth University’s Student Government Association (SGA) held a fundraising event for the people of Yemen, a Middle Eastern nation which has recently been affected by widespread famine and resource shortage, according to the Famine Early Warning System.
This June, the members of SGA created an online fundraiser in an effort to aid people suffering from a humanitarian crisis in Yemen, ultimately raising over $1,500. Stemming from proxy wars in the area between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Iran-backed Houthi movement, routes to vital resources like food, water, and medical assistance have been either compromised or cut off, creating a subsequent humanitarian crisis that has escalated to an emergency in some parts of Yemen.
Regarding the creation and execution of the fundraiser, Jenna Lee, a sophomore health studies student and Vice President of the SGA, said, “When we recognized the humanitarian crisis occurring in Yemen, our immediate thought was to help in any way possible. As the Vice President of SGA, my goal is to make a change not only within the Monmouth community, but around us as well.”
Saliba Sarsar, Ph.D, a Professor of Political Science and Sociology at Monmouth who has studied Middle Eastern/American relations extensively, commented that “the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is well-endowed with human and natural resources. But these are not evenly or properly distributed. Yemen happens to be the poorest country in the MENA, with a total population of around 30 million and a GDP per capita of approximately $2,500.”
Joseph Patten, Ph.D, an Associate Professor of Political Science, said, “People in Yemen are literally starving to death every day. It’s good to see the SGA helping as much as they can.” Patten also noted that the United States is intervening, but that it hasn’t necessarily been an easy task, and that it is “a human rights issue over anything.”
Due to COVID-19, SGA opted for a socially-distant fundraiser. “We created a BINGO board to post on social media for people to donate any amount displayed on the board,” said Lee. “All of our senators share[d] this with their family, friends, and Monmouth community; resulting in a huge success. All the donations were transferred over to the Yemen Emergency Appeal fund under ‘Monmouth SGA.’”
The effects of COVID-19 are still being seen across Yemen as well. According to Sarsar, “two-thirds of the population is in urgent need of food, water, and medicine. Conditions are expected to worsen if COVID-19 is allowed to spread…food security and health security are endangered.”
The SGA’s BINGO fundraiser ultimately raised over $1,500, which was donated directly to Islamic Relief USA’s Yemen Emergency Appeal. According to the organization’s statistics, $1,000 is enough to build a water or sanitation facility, and $500 is enough to distribute multiple full medical packages or food parcels to people in need in regions affected by the proxy wars and their fallout.
“No matter how much money we were able to raise,” Lee said, “we are proud to say we were able to do something to help in any way possible. We thank everyone who donated, and hope to continue to inspire our community as well as other Student Government Associations to be the change.”
Sarsar echoed Lee’s sentiment, similarly calling for action among governments across the globe in easing the crises affecting Yemen. “The international community, including the United States and the United Nations, must redouble its efforts to end the ongoing violence in Yemen so as to allow the Yemeni people to rebuild their lives and country,” he said. “Enough with violence. Peace is the path and the destination.”
PHOTO COURTESY of Getty Images
