Yemen has a turbulent history of wars and conquests.
It is estimated that there are several thousand Christians throughout the country. Most of them are expatriates (Westerners, South and East Asians, Arabs) or refugees (mainly Ethiopian). There are a few converts from Islam. In Aden, there are a few churches, but in the north of the country no church buildings are allowed.
The Yemeni Constitution declares that Islam is the state religion and that Shariah is the source of all legislation. As long as expatriates do not evangelize, the Yemeni government doesn’t intervene when they live out their faith, but Yemeni citizens are not allowed to convert to Christianity (or other religions). Converts from an Islamic background may face the death penalty if their new faith is discovered. Converts from Islam also encounter opposition from extremist groups, who threaten “apostates” with death if they do not revert to Islam. Proselytizing of Muslims is prohibited.
Country Information
Population 30,399,243 (July 2021 est.)
Ethnicity predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans
Religion (%) Muslim 99.1%, other 0.9%
Leader President Abd Rabuh Mansur Hadi (2012)
Government type In transition
Legal system Mixed legal system of Islamic law, Napoleonic law, English common law, and customary law
Source: CIA World Factbook
Pray for Yemen
Pray that the small body of believers will find deep and sustaining joy in their faithfulness.
Pray that the gospel will penetrate the hearts of many Yemeni people.
Christian aid worker Father Tom Uzhunnalil Photo: World Watch Monitor
On October 1st, a mission aid worker who served at the Missionaries of Charity Centre -- a residential home for the elderly in Aden, Yemen -- was released after 18 months of captivity. As Father Tom Uzhunnalil arrived at his home
Father Tom Uzhunnalil, a mission aid worker abducted by terrorists in strife-torn Yemen, has made a recent video appeal for urgent help after getting "poor response" from governing authorities in India. The video-taped message addresses his deteriorating health and the fact that he ur
Tom Uzhunnalil, a Christian missionary worker from India, was kidnapped last year during a violent attack on a Christian nursing home in Aden. On March 4th, gunmen burst into the residential facility and went from room to room, handcuffing full-time staff members and volunteers before
VOM helped provide aid to suffering Christian families in Yemen.
The civil war in Yemen has created a humanitarian crisis, leaving the Christian minority vulnerable to increased persecution by various militant groups. A mission is delivering food and water supplies to a small community of Christian
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