Sahar District ( ar, مديرية سحار) is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

of the

Sa'dah Governorate Saada ( ar, صَعْدَة, Ṣaʿdah) is one of the governorates of Yemen. The governorate's seat and the largest city is Saada. It is the epicentre of Zaydism

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...

. As of 2003, the district had a population of 133,060 people. The Sahar District has been called the food basket of Yemen.Voices of Yemen: Sahar, Saada Governorate
from UN Development Programme 28 July 2015. The area around Sahar has been one of the most affected areas of the conflict in the

Yemeni Civil War Yemeni Civil War may refer to several historical events which have taken place in Yemen: *Alwaziri coup, February – March 1948 *Yemeni–Adenese clan violence, 1956–60 *North Yemen Civil War, 1962–70 *Aden Emergency, 1963–67 *South Yemen#Di ...

Economy

Sahar District has many local markets and bazaars, most notably the Al Talh market, which is the largest market in the governorate. The district has good farmland, and produces more fruit and vegetables than qat. The

United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...

has described the district as "the food basket of Yemen". Approximately 70% of workers in Sahar District earn their income from

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

, either from their own farms or as labourers on other people's farms. This includes youths who are hired to pack, store, and load produce. Hundreds of them are employed by the Alsunbolah Cooperative Agricultural Association, which exports 90% of the district's agricultural produce. Another 20% of workers are employed in private-sector businesses, frequently operating their own businesses. These include gas stations, grocery stores, auto sales and services, and shops selling farm equipment. Some women, although limited in number, also make money by selling clothes or household goods, or by working as

tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...

s. Finally, around 10% of workers are employed in the public sector, mostly in education, healthcare, and military roles. Some public-sector workers also operate small businesses on the side.

Housing

Houses in Sahar are traditionally made of mud, and are home to more than one family. 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.

Impact of civil war

Sahar has been severely impacted by the

, and is one of the most affected places in the governorate. Attacks on main roads, markets, gas stations, schools, healthcare facilities, and even residential neighbourhoods have killed many and left many more with severe injuries. Residents have "expressed feelings of extreme physical insecurity, fearing that they may be killed at any time." One woman interviewed said, "We are not safe and we do not know if we will still be alive when the war is over." Sahar residents face acute

malnutrition Malnutrition occurs when an organism gets too few or too many nutrients, resulting in health problems. Specifically, it is "a deficiency, excess, or imbalance of energy, protein and other nutrients" which adversely affects the body's tissues ...

due to lack of access to food, while infectious disease has increased, especially among women and children. Infrastructure has also been heavily damaged by the war, including health, education, water, and electricity. Undetonated explosives are scattered throughout the district, forcing residents to abandon areas previously used as farms or pastures. Prices have increased substantially, and there has been growth of a black market, especially for fuel and cooking gas. 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. There has also been an increase in

gender-based violence Gender-related violence or gender-based violence includes any kind of violence directed against people due to their gender or gender identification. Types of gender-related violence include: * Violence against women (sometimes referred to simply a ...

Population

* 1994 = 27,621 * 2005 = 60,487

References

Districts of Saada Governorate Saada Governorate {{Yemen-geo-stub