if there is pain
there is hope
but if you are numb
you'll never know
if you can cry
please do
if you want to cry
please do
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by Aleksander Mielnikow | Alek the Poet
The poem has nothing to do with Yemen, but to update you on that, the situation in Yemen is getting much worse, which is odd and unfortunate to say considering what the situation is already.
A ceasefire between various forces, which began because of the outbreak of Covid-19, has ended, and with its conclusion the country has erupted into violent clashes.
The Houthi rebels are reportedly hiding the severity of the Coronavirus outbreak among their territories, making it more difficult to aid.
And UNICEF is reporting that its $479 million appeal for Yemen is less than 40% funded, and unless it receives $30 million by the end of June, operations concerning WASH - Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene - will have to shut down. "This means UNICEF will not be able to provide fuel to operate water pumping stations, or de-sludge sewage, or maintain crumbling water and sanitation infrastructure", Marixie Mercado, spokesperson for the agency. "It means we will not be able to distribute basic family hygiene kits that include soap, which is so critical for preventing both cholera and COVID in a context where millions don't have access to hand-washing facilities."
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How can you help? Assimilate, donate, and spread awareness, or ADaSA.
If you go to my Instagram account, @alekthepoet , in my bio there's a link to a Linktree, and the first two boxes will provide you with information on what is going on. The first link will take you to a report by Human Rights Watch, and it details the travesties that make up the crisis. The second link will take you to a report by the Council on Foreign Relations, which goes into detail on the political and military side of what is happening and why.
The other boxes provide multiple reputable organizations that you can donate to, or aid in other ways. As you can tell from the information above, those trying to provide aid need money and resources, and they need them soon, so if there is anything you can donate, or you can ask someone else to donate, please do.
Finally, letting others know lets them do the above. Whether that's just bringing it up in conversations, reposting on various social media sites, or sending the information in a large newsletter, it will all help if you direct them to learn and donate.
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Am I doing anything else besides the above?
Yes. I will contact various people in the US Congress to get something going there, both in offering more aid and stopping the supplies of weaponry to the Saudi Arabia military. I know it sounds vague to say "get something going", but it's more complex than that and I promise there's more to it and that there's a reason for my vagueness.
I am also putting together a fundraiser, of which the proceeds will go to the organizations above and will include shirts, stickers, and a catchy slogan that can help us in raising awareness. I'm in the logistics phase, so bear with me, and in the meantime donate to the organizations directly because they desperately need it now.
But I hope to have it up and running soon.
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Hopefully the above info helped. And I hope you enjoyed the poem, which is still what I do, though less these days.