Tamara Abueish

DUBAI — When Mohammed gave his glasses, made from a wire clothes hanger, to Yemeni photographer Abdullah Al-Jaradi in exchange for having his photo taken, the last thing he expected was for them to be auctioned off for almost $10,000.

Al-Jaradi had shared the image of the refugee boy in a camp in Yemen’s Marib on social media in hopes of raising money for Mohammed and two of his friends.

However, hundreds of bids came in and enough money was raised to provide clothes for all of the children in the camp.

The winning bid was made by the managing director of the Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance in Yemen (Masam) Oussama Al-Gosaibi.

Al-Gosaibi offered the photographer 2.5 million Yemeni riyals (SR37,500 or $9,987) to be used to provide funds for Mohammed and all the children in his refugee camp.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that 24.1 million people in Yemen are in need. — Al Arabiya English