Yemen was historically known as Arabia Felix, or the “Happy Land.” That’s because this small nation used to be one of the most fertile regions in the Arabian Peninsula. Yemen’s mountain ranges were welcoming sites for rain and agriculture. The term “cafe mocha” even comes from the Yemeni town, Mocha, which boasted a thriving coffee trade until the 18th century. But today, Yemen is sadly the poorest Arab nation and is currently facing the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Decades of war and unrest have torn this nation apart, leaving it crippled by long-standing social, political, and economic instability.Civilians have borne the brunt of the violence and suffering caused by civil war since 2015. Over 80% of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance – half of them children. Yemen’s famine crisis is one of the worst on the planet. With only 51% of hospitals functional, medications in short supply, and little to no clean water, diseases that should be preventable have claimed thousands of lives. The world’s largest cholera outbreak – with around 1 million cases – continues to ravage the population. Yemen’s immense water shortage is only made worse by the widespread use of the country’s most popular narcotic, qat, which demands approximately 40% of the nation’s water supply. Terrorist and militant groups like Al-Qaeda, Islamic State, and the Houthis have taken advantage of the chaos and human suffering to gain territory and momentum.

But the most dire issue in Yemen is that it remains one of the least evangelized nations on earth. Only 0.2% of its population knows and follows Christ; 99.7% of the population is Muslim. The gruesome treatment of Yemen’s small body of believers keeps this nation in the top ten for worst persecution of Christians. Most believers are first-generation. The majority of expatriate or migrant Christians have fled due to war and violence. Of the few believers that remain, most have converted from Islam. If discovered, they are often banished from their tribe or brutally murdered. Evangelism is against the law, and those who do so risk death. Still, despite these unrelenting restrictions, Christians have found ways to meet together. Through social media and secret gatherings, the Church in Yemen continues to grow, and more people are turning to Christ than ever before!