Graduate students from different faculties of the city's university attend a large celebration organized in a sports stadium Aden, Yemen, on July 27, 2019. (Xinhua/ Murad Abdo)
by Murad Abdo
ADEN, Yemen, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of university graduates across the southern port city of Aden have gathered along with their families and friends inside a sports stadium to attend their celebration festival.
However, years of deadly conflict between the Yemeni government forces and the Houthi rebels turned their graduation celebration into a time of disappointment and confusion instead of joy and high expectations.
Many graduates from Aden's University fear that a bleak future is waiting for them after finishing their bachelor studies in a critical time.
Some of the students abandoned the hopes of getting jobs in the country which is still engulfed in a deadly military conflict amid complete lack of political solutions.
For Ahmed Baqeel, a student, graduating from the university means unemployment and returning to stay at home because job opportunities are completely absent as a result of the country's recent situation.
"We are worried about the lack of work opportunities in our country after four years we spent in suffering and enduring university expenses," said Baqeel.
He said that "our dreams in getting jobs during the country's recent situation are dim because most of the students will go back to stay at home."
Leaving war-torn Yemen is the only solution available to escape unemployment, such as getting a suitable work opportunity in neighboring countries or elsewhere in the world job market.
Amjad Mohammed, a graduate student from the Aden's Faculty of Civil Engineering, told Xinhua that no chances are available for the new sophisticated generation to participate in developing the impoverished Arab country.
"After completing our studies, it's time to look for adventures to leave our beloved country because here are only chances for joining military activities," said Amjad.
He added "staying here means that all the engineering, administration and economic students will join the military camps."
Some students did not lose faith and still pin hopes on the country's political leadership to end the ongoing military conflict through peace negotiations sponsored by the United Nation and dialogue.
Sulaiman Baker, a graduate from Aden's Faculty of Economics, said all the educated people should not lose hope because their war-ravaged country is in a pressing need for their abilities and energy.
"It's a very nice and an indescribable feeling to be a graduate. We still have dreams to participate in building our country after ending this deadly war through peaceful ways," said Sulaiman.
The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014.
Saudi Arabia leads an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Houthi rebels forced him into exile.
The internal military conflict between the Iranian-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has entered its fifth year, aggravating the suffering of Yemenis and deepening the already world's worst humanitarian crisis.