Fasting Action Jemen/ Vastenactie Jemen

Name of the activity: Fasting Action Jemen/ Vastenactie Jemen

Country/NMO: Netherlands (IFMSA-NL)

Program: Ethics & Human Rights in Health

Contact information: [email protected]

Type of the activity: Advocacy. Series of efforts with the goal to influence policies or decision makers on a certain topic.

General description:

By fasting, on Monday, March 25, 2019, members of 4 medical student organizations step in the shoes of Yemenis. We together with STOLA Foundation, Sv Avicenna and MFVR together contributed to the feeding of young children in need on this day. The fast was between 00:00 and 18:00. They got sponsored to take on this challenge by family members, friends, acquaintances and strangers! The money raised were donated to UNHCR, the UN refugee organization that provides emergency assistance to Yemenis on the run. At 18:00 the day concluded with delicious and well-deserved snacks.

Focus area:

Peace, peacebuilding and health

Problem statement:

Yemen, the country with the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, the situation is urgent: 75% of the population needs humanitarian assistance. Many are malnourished and diseases such as cholera spread rapidly in the war-devastated country. In October 2018, the United nations warned of an impending famine, an agony for half of all Yemenis.

Target groups:

General population, Medical students, Healthcare Students, Other Students

Beneficiaries:

General population, Medical students, Children, Youth, Women, Migrants, Refugees

Objectives and indicators of success:

1) Create awareness on a current human rights violation and crisis in Rotterdam. We hope to raise awareness abou the initiative with at least 200 people involved from the city of Rotterdam as fasting participants, sponsor or supporters.

2) Raising at least 1000 euro for UNHCR during fasting action

Methodology:

1) Online Campaign

2) Fasting Action

3) Fundraising money for UNHCR

Plans for evaluation:

The first evaluation will be on the day itself (number of participants, sponsors and amount of money raised).

Second, the evaluation of the collaboration with the external partners

Later on, after the funds will be donated, the contribution that we gave to UNHCR activities in Yemen