Arafat Ahmed Hassan Ali, a man in his fifties, carries in his features years of challenge and patience. About ten years ago, he was forced to leave his home in Taiz and head to Bart Al-Anan district, searching for a safer place for himself and his family. The journey was not easy, and the beginning was not as he had hoped. Arafat settled in a new environment, but it lacked the most basic necessities of life. Opportunities were limited, work was unstable, and his income barely covered a fraction of their needs. Over time, daily life became about coping with scarcity and trying to get through each day with whatever was available.

Arafat says:
"I used to live each day thinking about how to secure my next meal… as for tomorrow, I couldn’t afford to think about it."

Amid these pressures, his family tried to adapt—until the moment that changed everything. His young daughter, Bar'a, who was not yet three years old, suffered from malnutrition. Her body weakened visibly, her movement decreased, and her features lost their vitality day by day. Worry turned into real fear. It was no longer just a struggle to get by; it became a threat to his child’s life.

Arafat describes that period:
"I would see my daughter in front of me, unable to help her… that was the hardest feeling I have ever experienced."

With no sufficient income, he could not provide proper food or consistent access to healthcare. He felt as though he was standing still while his daughter’s condition deteriorated. But in the midst of this helplessness, the intervention of the National Foundation for Development and Humanitarian Response (NAHR) came—through the Lifesaving Multisectoral Response of Health, MPCA, and Protection in Barat Al Anan and Al Mutun Districts in Al-Jawf Governorate, funded by the Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF). The project provided multi-purpose cash assistance to the family over three cycles. This intervention came at a critical moment and was a turning point in Arafat’s life.

He says:
"When I received the assistance, I felt that a door had opened for me."

Arafat began using the support to secure basic needs first. He bought sufficient and varied food—something that had not been available before—and focused especially on improving his daughter’s nutrition. He was also able to follow up on her health condition and provide the care she needed. Over time, the indicators began to change. Bar'a’s appetite improved, she regained some of her energy, and then signs of recovery became clear until she reached full healing.

Arafat says with a smile:
"Her return to a normal life was the greatest thing I could ever achieve."

Today, the family’s life looks different. Bar'a is healthy, playing and moving like any child her age. The home is calmer, worry has receded, and a sense of hope has taken its place. Arafat looks back at what he went through and recalls those difficult days, then says:
"The difference between yesterday and today is huge… and it all began with an opportunity that came at the right time."

This story shows how a simple intervention can change the course of an entire life—not only by saving a child from illness, but by restoring balance to a family and giving them the ability to carry on.