Yemen

The implementation of activities in Yemen as part of RiT2.0 commenced in October 2022. Although the country was not initially included in RiT1.0, it was later added due to the urgent needs present. While the offline activities, including community events, listening groups, and data collection, primarily took place in Aden, Lahj, Marib, Taiz, and Hadramout, which are under the control of the internationally recognized government, the media content aimed at combating misinformation was disseminated nationwide.  

In Yemen, the project formed partnerships (implementing partners) with three organizations: two media organizations, Awafi and Sout Al-Mohamasheen, and one humanitarian organization, Soul, which, after obtaining the necessary permits from the government, extensively covered the field activities in the aforementioned governorates. Soul in collaboration with the Internews team, conducted comprehensive coverage of all targeted areas and regions in Yemen to collect online rumors as well. This was achieved by monitoring and recording rumors circulating on popular social media platforms in Yemen, such as Facebook, and Telegram. 

On the other hand, Awafi and Sout Al-Mohamasheen produced media content on a monthly basis to address misinformation.  

Under RiT2.0 we highlighted and addressed the concerns of Internally dispalced persons (IDPs) and Al- Muhammasheen. Historically, this racial and ethnic group have faced discrimination, isolation, and poverty due to their African heritage and skin color.  Much of the prejudice against them is rooted in the country’s structural racism whereby Yemen’s education, health, employment, and land ownership systems explicitly or implicitly deny access for this community.  

Al Muhamasheen’s Voice, a valued media partner of Internews under the RiT2.0 initiative, has played a pivotal role in addressing the information gap and ensuring accessibility to media content for the Al Muhamasheen community. This esteemed partner is dedicated to raising awareness about the challenges faced by the Muhamasheen community and advocating for their rights and dignity. Through their efforts, the organization diligently documents instances of human rights violations committed against the Muhamasheen, including instances of discrimination, poverty, and limited access to essential services such as education and healthcare. To ensure tackling misinformation IDPs and Al- Muhammasheen, Soul ensured collecting rumours from these groups and guaranteed their involvement in the community events.