‘Untouchables’ of Yemen caught in crossfire of war

In a country where belonging to a tribe is vital to guaranteeing protection, status and livelihood, their community — which some estimates say numbers nearly 3 million people — is without a tribe and ignored by the government.

Many have been thrown into a state of constant displacement, with no one to take them in.

Some tell of fleeing from strikes by one side, only to be hit again by another of the many factions and combatants in the conflict.

Walid Abdullah, a 20-year-old member of the Marginalized, said his home district in Taiz, al-Jahmaliya, was hit early on in the war by shelling.

An estimated 9,000 people have been killed in the past year of fighting in Yemen, and more than 2.4 million have been driven from their homes.