Yemen Consolidates Int’l Partnerships to Support Development, Stability and Services

The Yemeni government has consolidated efforts with its international partners to gradually transition from the emergency response phase toward recovery and institution-building. Its efforts have also focused on improving basic services, empowering local authorities, developing the transport and infrastructure sectors, and facilitating the work of international organizations operating in the country. The head of the Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, met this week with Peter Hawkins, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). They discussed UNICEF’s interventions in humanitarian fields, particularly in the sectors of health, education, child protection, combating malnutrition, immunization against deadly diseases, and psychological support. They also tackled environmental health programs and efforts to build the capacities of local authorities in operating and managing water systems and reservoirs. Al-Alimi praised the existing partnership between the government and UN agencies, foremost among them UNICEF’s presence in Yemen since the 1970s and its continued role in supporting Yemeni children and families. He also lauded its valued interventions aimed at mitigating the repercussions of the humanitarian crisis caused by the Iran-backed Houthi militias. Al-Alimi referred to the Houthi coup, which he said had led to the collapse of the humanitarian protection network and turned millions of children into direct victims of the conflict through recruitment and deprivation of education and essential vaccines. He also pointed to the destruction of infrastructure and the national economy caused by the militias’ coup. Al-Alimi stressed the importance of building on the existing partnership with UN organizations to expand humanitarian and development interventions related to children. He particularly highlighted the areas of school feeding, support for education and prevention of school dropout, water and environmental health, primary healthcare, and psychosocial support programs, while stressing the need to broaden their impact across all parts of the country. He also hoped for a gradual shift from an emergency-response approach toward a more sustainable framework that supports recovery and the rebuilding of institutions and essential services. Al-Alimi commended donor countries and entities supporting UNICEF programs in Yemen, foremost among them Saudi Arabia and international partners that continue to support the Yemeni people. He renewed the commitment of the state and government to providing all means of protection and facilitation for humanitarian and UN organizations, and to ensuring a safe environment for their work. He considered humanitarian action an essential partner in protecting society and preserving stability. He also reiterated full support for the humanitarian community and for aid workers and UN staff arbitrarily detained by the Houthis, describing their detention as a flagrant violation of international law and all national norms. As part of the Yemeni government’s efforts to engage with the international community, the temporary capital, Aden, witnessed a series of meetings between officials and representatives of the United Nations, the European Union, and the World Food Programme. The meetings reflected a government approach aimed at expanding international partnerships and linking humanitarian aid to more sustainable development projects, amid the ongoing economic and humanitarian crisis exacerbated by the war and the Houthi coup.