1. Origins

2. Societal discrimination in Yemen
     Social conditions    Economic status    Health conditions    Contemporary reforms  

3. Distribution

4. Demographics

5. See also

6. References

7. External links

Origins

The exact origins of Al-Akhdam are uncertain. One popular belief holds that they are descendants of Nilotic Sudanese people who accompanied the Abyssinian army during the latter's occupation of Yemen in the pre-Islamic period. Once the Abyssinian troops were finally expelled at the start of the Muslim era, some of the Sudanese migrants are said to have remained behind, giving birth to the Akhdam people. This belief, however, was denied and described as a myth by Hamud al-Awdi, a professor of sociology at Sana'a University.^[9]

Societal discrimination in Yemen

Anthropologists such as Vombruck postulate that Yemen's history and social hierarchy that developed under various regimes, including the Zaydi Imamate, had created a hereditary caste-like society.^[10] Till today, the Al-Akhdam people exists at the very bottom of Yemeni social strata.^[11]

Social conditions

The Al-Akhdam community suffers from extreme discrimination, persecution, and social exclusion from the mainstream Yemeni society.^[12] The contempt for the Akhdam people is expressed by a traditional Yemeni proverb:

"Clean your plate if it is touched by a dog, but break it if it's touched by a Khadem.″

Economic status

In the face of extreme societal discrimination, the Al-Akhdam people are forced to work menial and dirty jobs such as sweeping, shoe-making and the cleaning of latrines, vocations for which they are still known to this day.^[6][7][10] Those who are unemployed, most of whom are women,^[12] usually resort to begging.^[7]

Even the Akhdam people who are employed are not spared from discrimination. Akhdam street sweepers are rarely granted contracts even after decades of work, despite the fact that all Yemeni civil servants are supposed to be granted contracts after six months.^[7] They receive no benefits, and almost no time off.^[7]

The Akhdam reside in slum districts that are generally isolated from the rest of Yemeni society.^[6] It is hardly possible for the Akhdam people to afford shelter with even the most basic amenities such as electricity, running water and sewage system.^[15] Accordingly, Akhdam generally live in small huts haphazardly built of wood and cloth.^[6]

Health conditions

Due to poverty and the unsanitary living conditions, the Akhdam people are vulnerable to preventable diseases. The death rates from preventable diseases are worse than the nationwide average in Yemen.^[7] Many Al-Akhdam children suffer from diseases such as dyspnoea, malaria and polio, and the death rate is high.^[12] The reported infant mortality rate is also described as "appalling".^[7] Out of the deaths reported in an Akhdam shantytown over a year, about a half were children under the age of 5, a quarter of whom were in the first month of life.^[7]

Studies by Al-Serouri et al. further report a poorer understanding of HIV risks amongst the Al-Akhdam community. Accordingly, group members also have higher reported rates and risks of contracting HIV infections.^[16]

Contemporary reforms

Many NGOs and charitable organizations from other countries such as CARE International are reportedly working toward improving the living circumstances of the Akhdam.^[17] Such initiatives include the building of a chicken farm, sanitation projects, the provision of electricity and classes aimed at eradicating illiteracy.^[6] The extent of these efforts, however, is disputed, most notably by Huda Sief.^[18] Government corruption also means that monetary aid intended for the Akhdam is often misused or stolen.^[7][19]

Government officials, while admitting an historical disdain for the Akhdam among conventional Yemeni society, insist that there is no official discrimination.^[6][19] The Yemeni government has occasionally built shelters for the Akhdam,^[7] although it is reported that 30% of Akhdam who received such state housing sold it, choosing instead to return to their original neighborhoods.^[6] Despite the supposed absence of official discrimination, many Akhdam claim that officials often block their attempts to seek state services at schools and hospitals.^[6]

A significant step forward was achieved with the formation of a political party to represent them and possibly alleviate their conditions.^[15] The Yemeni revolt in 2011 had also roused many Akhdam people to participate in the uprising by appearing regularly in the demonstrations and sit-ins that filled the mains squares of the capital city Sanaa and Taiz.^[15] Many had hoped that the revolt would help end the cycle of racism that has placed them at the bottom of the social ladder.

Distribution

Most Al-Akhdam live in segregated slums on the outskirts of Yemen's main urban centers.^[7] Many of them reside in the capital Sana'a. Others can also be found in Aden, Ta'izz, Lahij, Abyan, Al Hudaydah and Mukalla.

Demographics

According to official estimates, the Akhdam numbered around 500,000 individuals in 2004.^[7] An organisation called "Yemen’s Sawa’a Organisation for Anti-Discrimination" estimates put their number at over 3.5 million residents in 2013, which is 11% out of the total population of Yemen.^[20][21]

See also

• Human rights in Yemen

References

External links

• The International Dalit Solidarity Network: The Al-Akhdam in Yemen

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