Yemen is facing an unprecedented humanitarian emergency set against the backdrop of a complex and violent nation-wide conflict. “The operating landscape is narrow, but the need to operate is urgent,” says Hafez Albukari, founder of New Pathfinders Consultancy.

A volatile economy, severe food insecurity, and ongoing violence, all pose and increase disastrous risks for an already vulnerable population. The continued disruption to public health and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, the lack of access to health facilities and medical treatment by 45% of the population, and the scarcity of clean water compound a dire situation. “As the situation continues to deteriorate, its Yemen’s most vulnerable populations who bear the greatest burden of this humanitarian crisis,” Albukari commented. There is an urgent need to quickly and thoroughly understand the needs of Yemen from the local to national levels.

In the coming months and years, international aid organizations, government stakeholders, and local actors will continue to develop life-saving interventions, development programs, and civil society improvement policies. “The success of these initiatives is absolutely critical,” remarks Chris Miller of Strategy + Growth International, which partners with New Pathfinders on research projects. “And the success is dependent on the strength and reliability of the research on which the projects are based. We have a responsibility to conduct high-quality, targeted, and comprehensive research so the humanitarians and other agencies can do their best work armed with the best information.”

But working in such a volatile context and fragile state is high-risk at best. As Saudi airstrikes continue to destroy Yemen’s ports, kill and injure civilians, and devastate humanitarian programming, few actors are left to access Yemen’s vulnerable and war-affected.  Albukari and his team have considerable experience in maintaining operations under fire. Since the fighting began in 2012, New Pathfinders’ local partner agency, the Yemen Polling Center, has rarely evacuated or delayed activities. “We have always been committed to socio-cultural awareness and relativism. We maintain our independent character.” When engaging in any field work, enumerators are local to the area and well-known in their communities. The research design follows local customs, particularly those relevant to gender-norms, religious values, and political sensitivities.

“That does not mean, however, that we can’t ask the difficult questions,” says Albukari. The combination of employing enumerators known within their communities, advance community outreach, and methodological expertise based on years of experience enables reliable research of even the most sensitive and controversial issues. “Which is critical,” Miller points out. “Especially in the Yemeni context, the research is meant to enhance the coordinated planning and messaging from relevant stakeholders so we can help as many people as possible as quickly as possible.”