Ethical Issues and Neutrality in the Work of Translators and Interpreters in Yemen's Armed Conflicts
Ahmed Mohammed Moneus
Abstract
The armed conflict in Yemen, which began nine years ago, has had profound and lasting impacts on the country and its people. The conflict has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis, with widespread food insecurity, the displacement of people, and damage to infrastructure. It has disrupted every aspect of life, from healthcare and education to the economy and local governance. During the current conflict, translators and interpreters have played an essential role in helping humanitarian organizations in Yemen. International aid organizations use many multilingual speakers, language assistants, and interpreters to facilitate their communication with the local community and streamline humanitarian activities on the ground. This chapter discusses the role of Yemeni translators and interpreters and the ethical issues that they encounter while working with humanitarian organizations in Yemen, with a particular focus on neutrality. In this chapter, previously collected data are used, and existing literature on the work of interpreters in Yemen is examined.