November 17, 2009

Photo: Adel Yahya/IRIN

Fighting in Saada Governorate cut Nasser Ridhwan off from his elderly wife in their home. He now lives in al-Mazraq IDP camp

HARADH, 17 November 2009 (IRIN) - Nasser Ridhwan, 78, is a recent arrival in the al-Mazraq Camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Haradh District, Hajjah Governorate, some 130km southwest of his home village of Mashnaq, near Dukhan Mountain, which has become a battleground in fighting between the Saudi army and Houthi-led Shia rebels.

Ridwhan, who for the past 30 years has worked as a day labourer in the Saudi town of Jaizan, 20km away from his home, has lost contact with his 80-year-old wife since 12 September, when fighting between the Yemeni army and Houthis cut off access to his home. From al-Mazraq camp, Ridhwan told IRIN his story:

"On 13 September, I left home early in the morning for work in Jaizan hoping to come back before sunset, as usual, but couldn't after heavy fighting cut access to our home where my old wife was waiting for me.

"I then took shelter with many other displaced Yemenis who had fled their villages for uninhabited homes in the southern part of Saudi Arabia. I kept going to work in the Saudi town where I used to carry goods on my back from trucks to stores, making about 20-30 Saudi riyals [US$5-10] a day.

"I was waiting for the security situation to improve in order to get back to my wife with the 820 riyals [$220] that I saved over the past 50 days, but it didn’t happen. Saudi policemen forced me and the other displaced families out of the homes we were in at 6am on 6 November, saying that Houthi gunmen were using us as human shields in their clashes with Saudi border guards.

"I then began a five-day trip on foot with these families, taking shelter under trees overnight and begging any villagers we passed for food and water until we reached al-Mazraq camp on 11 November. The situation made it impossible for me to think about returning home and seeing my wife.

"I don't know where she is now; missing, dead, gone with other people. She was alone when I left her. We had been married for more than 65 years, but had no children - this was our destiny.

"I had nothing in life but my wife, who I’ve now lost. I don't know how she will survive because it is the first time in 50 years for me to disappear from her.

"I don't know when the security situation will improve so that I can get back home and see what happened to her. My hope that she is still alive is vanishing."

ay/ed/cb