Sahar District
مديرية سحار
District
Country Yemen
GovernorateSa'dah Governorate
Population
 (2003)
 • Total133,060
Time zoneUTC+3 (Yemen Standard Time)

Sahar District (Arabic: مديرية سحار) is a district of the Sa'dah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 133,060 people.[1]

The Sahar District has been called the food basket of Yemen.[2]

The area around Sahar has been one of the most affected areas of the conflict in the Yemeni Civil War.[2]

Economy

Sahar District has many local markets and bazaars, most notably the Al Talh market, which is the largest market in the governorate.[2]

The district has good farmland, and produces more fruit and vegetables than qat.[2] The United Nations Development Programme has described the district as "the food basket of Yemen".[2]

Approximately 70% of workers in Sahar District earn their income from agriculture, either from their own farms or as labourers on other people's farms.[2] This includes youths who are hired to pack, store, and load produce.[2] Hundreds of them are employed by the Alsunbolah Cooperative Agricultural Association, which exports 90% of the district's agricultural produce.[2] Another 20% of workers are employed in private-sector businesses, frequently operating their own businesses.[2] These include gas stations, grocery stores, auto sales and services, and shops selling farm equipment.[2] Some women, although limited in number, also make money by selling clothes or household goods, or by working as tailors.[2] Finally, around 10% of workers are employed in the public sector, mostly in education, healthcare, and military roles.[2] Some public-sector workers also operate small businesses on the side.[2]

Housing

Houses in Sahar are traditionally made of mud, and are home to more than one family.[2] Some families live in newer homes made of stone or cement block; these families use their old mud houses to house livestock or to store fodder and wood.[2]

Impact of civil war

Sahar has been severely impacted by the Yemeni Civil War, and is one of the most affected places in the governorate.[2] Attacks on main roads, markets, gas stations, schools, healthcare facilities, and even residential neighbourhoods have killed many and left many more with severe injuries.[2] Residents have "expressed feelings of extreme physical insecurity, fearing that they may be killed at any time."[2] One woman interviewed said, "We are not safe and we do not know if we will still be alive when the war is over."[2] Sahar residents face acute malnutrition due to lack of access to food, while infectious disease has increased, especially among women and children.[2] Infrastructure has also been heavily damaged by the war, including health, education, water, and electricity.[2] Undetonated explosives are scattered throughout the district, forcing residents to abandon areas previously used as farms or pastures.[2] Prices have increased substantially, and there has been growth of a black market, especially for fuel and cooking gas.[2] There has also been an increase in crime, with many desperate men (especially young men) stealing or joining armed gangs in order to feed their families.[2] There has also been an increase in gender-based violence.[2]

Population

  • 1994 = 27,621
  • 2005 = 60,487

References

  1. ↑ "Districts of Yemen". Statoids. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Voices of Yemen: Sahar, Saada Governorate, from UN Development Programme 28 July 2015.

16°50′N 43°40′E / 16.833°N 43.667°E / 16.833; 43.667


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