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To live in one’s own house in Yemen: How mediation resolved eight-year long illegal occupation

Aref Ghurab - Wednesday, 06 September, 2023

Aden, Yemen, 16 October 2023 — When Mohammad Tayeb purchased his home in Aden in 2015, he never thought the war would force him and his family out of the city – and equally force him to leave their house behind.
A few years later, upon returning to Aden’s Khormaksar district, Mohammad found out that his house had been illegally occupied.
“I went to inspect my house and found parts of it renovated and prepared for habitation. I was shocked to see children playing in front of my house”, Mohammad says. “It was extremely difficult; I couldn’t comprehend what had happened. I watched my dream and the dream of my family dissipate.”
Mohammad enquired about the identity of the occupants and found out that a family had been living in the house since the war had started, had made it their home, and claimed they could not be evicted.
Determined to reclaim his house, Mohammad decided to resort to tribal mediation, a process by which conflict between opposing parties or individuals is informally brought before tribal leaders, or anyone with a good reputation. His efforts failed, and the situation escalated between him and the occupying family.
As part of the “Support to Housing, Land and Property (HLP) Rights for Vulnerable Communities and Improve Land Tenure Security of Women in Yemen” project, a mediator was deployed on 4 August 2023 to attempt conciliation. The project, funded by UN-Habitat and implemented by the National Foundation for Development and Humanitarian Response (NFDHR), aims to resolve housing, land, and property disputes through mediation.
The mediator, Yaslem Al-Anburi, began studying the case to reconcile the parties and resolve the issue amicably.
Using mediation as a tool for conflict resolution enhances a culture of dialogue and understanding, contributing to social peace and coexistence among communities. It spares involved parties from lengthy and costly legal procedures, allowing them to focus on dispute resolution more effectively.
Al-Anburi met with the parties involved in the dispute and listened to their stories. He conducted the mediation process to try and find solutions that would facilitate the return of the house in a manner agreeable to both parties.
His efforts paid off, and a compromise was found between Mohammad and the occupying family on 8 August 2023. Mohammad agreed to pay a small amount as compensation for the renovations carried out by the occupying family, who in turn agreed to return the property to the owner within a month.
Mohammad and his family gained access to their house in August 2023, after eight years of waiting.
“We had lost all hope of reclaiming our house, but now we see that this dream has finally been fulfilled”, Mohammad says.
Mohammad had been trying to gain access to his house for two years.