In August 2012, I visited Aden and Abyan. Unlike journalists and professional photographers, I travelled to southern Yemen without a security escort. I stayed in Abyan for ten days, and lived with the locals, sharing their anxieties. I was threatened by U.S. drones spying out the region on a daily basis. At the same time, I was scared of being discovered by members of the Al-Qaida affiliated Ansar al-Sharia group. The photos show my visits to Aden, Zinjibar, the Razi hospital and the desert of Abyan.

For the first time I wore a niqab when travelling to Abyan. Most of the pictures I took during the trip were taken secretly, from the window of a car.

*Amira Augustin studied Middle Eastern Studies, French and Russian philology at the Universities of Leipzig (Germany), Aden (Yemen), Provence (France) and at the University of Gadjah Mada Yogyakarta (Indonesia).  Today she researches in the field of social geography, with a special focus on  Southern Yemen (Aden, Abyan).

(c) The following pictures are all taken by Amira Augustin. They may not be reproduced without permission from the photographer.

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