Imagine the nightmare of sleeping peacefully
to wake up in the middle of rubble and debris
November 11, 2021
Despite the war, the inhabitants of Hodeidah Governorate are struggling to run their lives, and keep the pulse of life going. The observer of the situation, with its positive, peace-loving image vibrant with life, sees farmers undeterred – by war or high prices- from carrying on their farming and crop production activities, and workers toiling in factories and companies, sticking together in their posts, despite the hardships of life and hazards of war that took away their best colleagues while they were doing their jobs…and so many other scenes.
In the heart of Saleef port in Saleef district of Hodeidah, the Yemen International Company silos are located, with no less than 200 workers, struggling with the hardships of everyday life and contributing to maintaining activity and production in the governorate. The fires of clashes have not yet reached there. In comparison to other Governorate districts, Saleef has been living in relative peace and security. The company’s employees were working in unison, coming from and going to their workplace without worry or dread. However, this sensation did not endure long.
One night, the company’s workforce were in their beds, resting their bodies, falling into deep sleep, after a hard and fulfilling day’s work, in order to get up to work on the next day’s morning.You can imagine the nightmare of a person sleeping on a bed carrying his exhausted body as if this piece of wood is his paradise, separating him from the world, and suddenly he finds himself on the ground in the middle of rubble, debris and wood, and his bed is turned over above him restricting his movement rendering him unable to escape and save his soul, and there is no air to breathe but only smoke and dust.
When one of the victims, Nasser Maher (a pseudonym) (32 years old) was asked about what happened, he described his situation by saying:“I can only remember that I woke up in the middle of rubble and wood, unable to move, unable to breathe, trying to save myself.” He continued: “On the fourth day of the incident, I found myself on a hospital bed, surrounded by medical equipment, and unable to move the left part of my body as a result of the severe injury to my head.”
“I can only remember that I woke up in the middle of rubble and wood, unable to move, unable to breathe, trying to save myself.” He continued: “On the fourth day of the incident, I found myself on a hospital bed, surrounded by medical equipment, and unable to move the left part of my body as a result of the severe injury to my head.”
Panic and hysteria! This is what the workers were experiencing at that moment in time, with questions buzzing in their minds, each person found himself asking: “Where am I now? What happened to me? Where are my colleagues? Why did this happen? Who did this? There were no answers except: “Thank God we are still alive!”
On Sunday, March 21, 2021, at 02:40 A.M, the Yemen International Food Industries Company Limited “YIFICO” was attacked by a Saudi-UAE led coalition air raid. Six workers were injured, their injuries ranged from medium to severe.
The air strike had not only physical consequences for the injured, but also psychological traumas for the entire workforce. When you see that the severely injured Nasser Maher has returned to work despite his inability to move except with help and with the aid of a crutch, and that he wants, according to him, to break the cycle of fear that has resulted from what happened, you realize the resolve and determination of the sons of Tihama to live, and not just live, but live with hope and not give up under any circumstances.
