Yemeni women have revived a wartime initiative to bake and deliver pastries and biscuits to government forces on the front lines in Taiz and Hodeidah governorates. The effort, which began in 2015, was re-launched following recent escalations in fighting, with women providing food and essential supplies to boost morale.
The revival of this initiative highlights the ongoing conflict in Yemen and the significant role women play in supporting front-line forces through non-military means, impacting morale and demonstrating community solidarity.
Yemeni women have revived a wartime initiative to bake and deliver food to government forces on the front lines, particularly in the Taiz and Hodeidah governorates. Naseem al-Odaini and her friends have resumed baking date-filled pastries and biscuits, sending them to fighters with messages of solidarity. This initiative, initially launched in 2015, had been paused for over four years but was re-activated following a recent escalation in fighting.
Houthi forces launched a major offensive on September 3, seizing control of districts in Hodeidah, the city of Mocha, and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Clashes continue in western Taiz, with minor Houthi advances, and sporadic fighting persists on the eastern front of Taiz city.
Al-Odaini's initiative is funded by personal savings and donations, with a growing support base both inside and outside Taiz. To ensure safety, donors are asked to purchase ingredients from trusted vendors. While some women, like al-Odaini, personally deliver supplies to the front lines, a risk that has led to the deaths of three colleagues, others, like Israa al-Tayeb, manage operations through a structured team responsible for donations, baking, and delivery.
Fighters like Ahmed expressed that the food provides a crucial psychological boost, making them feel supported by their community. Psychological expert Hail al-Fakeeh noted that home-baked goods carry a deeper emotional weight, connecting fighters to the homes they are defending and reinforcing a long-standing Yemeni tradition of women supporting combatants.