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From UAE to Yemen: Volunteers to walk 2,200km across 4 countries, raising $200,000 for charity
The funds raised will go toward upkeep of an already established facility, named after 2 camels that passed away, providing free medicine and medical service for Yemenis since 2023
- PUBLISHED: Sat 28 Dec 2024, 10:49 AM UPDATED: Sun 29 Dec 2024, 4:27 PM
On New Year's Day, volunteers will embark on a humanitarian journey traversing four Gulf countries – UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabi, and Yemen.
The camel caravan aims to raise $200,000 for development projects promoting self-sufficiency for the Yemeni people affected by the ongoing 10-year strife.
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The 2,200km expedition is estimated to take up to 70 days, Mike Metzger, sustainability and world heritage advocate coordinating the project named “Hope Voyage Campaign,” told Khaleej Times.
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Metzger said the caravan will start in the desert at Al Khatim village between Abu Dhabi city and Al Ain on the morning of January 1, 2025, participated in by approximately 50 volunteers.
The UAE segment will have around 20 to 30 people; Oman will have 5 to 10 people and Yemen will have up to 10 people. The number may grow as the caravan hits the trek.
It will enter Saudi Arabia from the Umm Al Zamoul Border Post with Oman and cross the entire southern Empty Quarter by camel.
“Our arrival point in Yemen is a village city known as Tarim in Wadi Hadhramaut,” said Abu Dhabi-based Metzger who will also be walking. The expected day of arrival is Feb 8, 2025.
“Many other travellers will be joining in through country segments between one to four weeks of walking,” he said.
“We are a team, though everyone will be contributing different lengths of time for the walk. Some of our team can walk a week, some (will be walking for) two weeks, others for months,” Metzger said.
Metzger said they were “prepared as we ever will be” to enter Empty Quarter.
“We have a support team in Saudi Arabia for emergencies. We are also storing food, camel food and water in all the countries we are travelling through in advance in the coming days,” he said.
The Empty Quarter section of the camel caravan is the longest, ranging from 20 days to a month, according to the expedition's website.
Metzger said 70 days of food, water, and medicine have been arranged, to be dropped off in advance.
“Voyage food is very simple – dates, tea, flour for making bread, ghee, dried meat, fish and vegetables, along with camel food,” he said.
Government support
While logistical support has been coming from close friends in the region, support teams and volunteers, Metzger said they were “hoping for government support once we actually launch.”
“It would be amazing to have their help especially for a cultural journey of this scale,” he said.
Metzger said their team is securing all necessary permits. He added that the ongoing conflict in Yemen “won't affect our journey very much.
“We are entering a very peaceful part of Yemen that has good relations with the UAE and Saudi Arabia.”
Metzger expressed hope the grassroots initiative would meet its goal of raising $200,000. “We have been receiving donations from families and friends, so far. We would cherish more support from the UAE expat and local community for our humanitarian work,” he said.
Among supporters of the humanitarian caravan, providing logistical support, some of whom will also join the journey are, UAE Wildschoolers, ECC Adventures, Abu Dhabi Homeschoolers Association, Distant Imagery and Kenaz.
Development project
The funds raised will be used for the financial upkeep of an already established facility in Seiyun, Yemen that has been providing free medicine and medical service daily for Yemenis since 2023.
Metzger said the facility, named Nesma & Sindibad Clinic, after his two single-humped camels who have passed away, has so far already treated more than 15,000 Yemenis.
The funds raised will also be used on two fresh water well projects for two Bedouin tribes in Wadi Hadramaut. “One water well is already under construction right now. It is 70 per cent complete. We are just waiting on more funds to complete it,” said Metzger.
He said the water well projects have been in the planning stage for the last two years.
Lastly, the money will also be used to fund a free livestock distribution program that will teach families about breeding for alternative income across the entire country.
The Hope Voyage Campaign, which has been around eight years in the making, aims to provide Yemenis, devastated by the ongoing conflict, the infrastructure and the required skills so that they can support themselves and not rely on foreign aid.
Metzger said Yemen was chosen as the pilot project because it is one of the countries most affected by conflict and is of near proximity to the UAE; it has also been described by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as having one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes in the world.
The UNHCR said approximately 4.5 million Yemenis, comprising 14 per cent of the population, are currently displaced, most of whom have been displaced multiple times over a number of years.
Moreover, 21.6 million people, or two-thirds of the population are in dire need of humanitarian assistance and protection services.
“The risk of a large-scale famine in the country has never been more acute. Tens of thousands are already living in famine-like conditions, with a staggering six million more just one step away from it,” UNHCR said.
Metzger said the success of the Hope Voyage humanitarian campaign in Yemen will create a benchmark achievement. “If (we) can change people's lives for the better, providing jobs, access clean water and making success in Yemen, then that would mean we will most certainly spread the Hope Voyage to other countries, knowing we will succeed, having started with a country in great need,” he said.
He said there was a “big mix of volunteers (for the expedition) from around the world.”
Other countries next in line for the humanitarian caravan campaign are Sudan, Somalia, Pakistan and East Africa, Metzger said.
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