New York, September 16, 2026 – The Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies and the Columbia Law School Human Rights Clinic have jointly published a narrative and visual perspective on the experiences of internally displaced people in Yemen.  

The publication centers on the stories of two internally displaced women, Muna and Fatimah, who were interviewed in Aden, Yemen. Their testimonies tell a larger story of the lived realities of the millions of Yemenis currently displaced by years of protracted conflict. 

Through the conversations facilitated by an experienced local researcher, the women described what it has meant to lose and leave their homes, be uprooted from their communities, and forgo any sense of safety and comfort. Their stories showcase how displacement reshapes everyday life and deepens existing vulnerabilities. 

The stories are accompanied by illustrations that visually represent Muna’s and Fatimah’s experiences, draw attention to the harms they have been facing, and highlight patterns of displacement. Together, the narratives and the artwork illustrate the complex connections between prolonged conflict, gender inequality, poverty, environmental degradation, and climate change. 

The piece concludes with an urgent call for sustainable peace and justice to be grounded in participatory, community-based approaches that enable the meaningful participation of women, children, and other systemically marginalized groups.

Notes on authorship:

In Spring 2025, Maya Ghazi (a pseudonym) led the conceptualization, research design, and writing of this piece, with support from Theodosia Catisapis and Safia Southey. In Spring 2026, Kimi Nasiri, Paola Ripoll, Grace Tully, and Charlotte Birsh contributed to the research and writing of various drafts. The research design was supervised by Smith Family Human Rights Clinic Professor Sarah Knuckey, while the piece was co-authored and supervised by Associate Research Scholar and Supervising Staff Attorney Dr. Luna Borges.

Illustrations for this report were created by Thiyazen al-Alawi, a Yemen-based artist, who learned about these stories through collaboration with the authors. His artwork portrays the challenges faced by young Yemenis affected by conflict, displacement, violence, poverty, and shelling, and highlights new narratives to amplify the lived experiences of both war and non-violent responses to conflict.

For more information about the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies: https://sanaacenter.org/ 

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