My card was taken by an ATM near my hotel in Yemen. Has this happened to anyone else? Solution?
That's a massive problem, and it's a known risk of traveling there. The card is gone forever. You must call your home bank immediately and cancel the card. The ATMs are not connected to international networks and cannot be used by foreign travelers. The best solution for cash is to have a trusted friend or family member send you money via a safe wire transfer. There is no other reliable way to get cash there. You must plan for this and have a backup.
I am sorry to hear this, but the card is gone forever. You won't get it back. The banking system in Yemen is highly compromised, and international cards are useless there anyway. My advice is to contact your home bank immediately and report the card lost or stolen. Your only viable option for getting cash is to have a friend or family member wire you money via a money transfer service or to use an alternative informal network. This is the only way to get cash there.
This is a very unfortunate event, but you are unlikely to get your card back. Foreign cards do not work in Yemen's banking system. The ATMs, even those at local banks like Tadhamon Bank, are not set up to handle international transactions. Your first and most important step is to call your bank to cancel the card to prevent any fraud. Your best option for cash is to use a money transfer service that operates in the country, or to have a trusted contact who can help you.
That's a very serious situation. Due to the ongoing conflict and a severely fragmented banking system, international cards do not work at ATMs in Yemen. If an ATM took your card, it was due to a machine error and not because of a valid transaction. You will not get the card back. You must call your bank immediately to cancel the card. Your only solution for cash is to have a friend or family member wire you money via a service like Western Union, or to use an alternative like Hawala, which is a traditional trust-based money transfer system.