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Yemen

Yemen is a low income state with high levels of poverty. On the UNDP Human Development Index Yemen is ranked 153 out of 177 countries. Female literacy is 34%; the annual population growth rate is 3% and 35% of the population live under the poverty line.

Yemen faces a series of daunting challenges which threaten its future prosperity and stability. These include high unemployment, rapid population growth and water scarcity, declining oil revenues, volatile local level conflict and regional instability.

What DFID is doing in Yemen

DFID’s overall approach in Yemen is based on the Fragile States Principles, with a focus on poverty reduction, state-building, improving international donor behaviour and promoting long term engagement with Yemen.

To help tackle these challenges DFID is increasing its commitment to Yemen to £50m a year by 2011. This represents an increase of 400% from 2006/07 commitments and a total of £117m over 2007-11.

Consultation about future direction of the Yemen programme.

DFID and the Government of Yemen (GoY) signed a 10 year Development Partnership Arrangement (DPA) in August 2007. The arrangement was signed on behalf of the UK government by the Parliamentary under Secretary of State Shahid Malik, on his first overseas ministerial visit. He remarked “Yemen’s future is by no means certain, but the strong partnership and friendship with the UK will help provide vital support in its next phase of development as a nation.”

DFID will be supporting the Government of Yemen by:

• Working with the GoY to improve economic opportunities for poor people
• Helping the GoY to be more capable, accountable and responsive.
• Investing in people, with a focus on education, especially for girls.

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A sample of our current DFID Programmes

Education (£15.9 million, 2004-10)

DFID, working with the World Bank, the Netherlands and Germany, is providing funding to help the Government of Yemen increase access to quality basic education, particularly for girls. The project also supports central reform of the Ministry of Education.

The Social Fund for Development (SFD) (£19.8 million, 2004-08)

SFD is a Yemeni organisation which provides support directly to communities to improve education, health, roads, and water supplies. Their valuable work in the education sector has seen them build almost 6000 classrooms since 2004.

Fragile States Initiative (known as Good International Engagement Initiative in Yemen) (£825,000, 2005-08)

DFID and UNDP supported the development of the Good International Engagement Initiative and a donor coordination unit in the GoY Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC) called the “Aid Harmonisation and Alignment Unit” (AHA) to improve the effectiveness of the international donor community in Yemen.

Integrated Justice Sector Development (£500,000, 2005-07)

We are working with UNDP to support improvements to the security of Yemenis and their access to justice, particularly for the poorest.

Public Financial Management Reform (£1.1m 2006 – 2009)

We are also supporting the Ministry of Finance to develop and implement an action plan for public financial management reform (this includes improving prioritisation and budget decision making, budget execution, control and financial accountability, bidding and procurement system and the efficiency and skills of public finance workers and auditors in 2007).

The UK government also supports multilateral programmes in Yemen, committing almost £700m between 2002 and 2009 to funds including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and the Education for All Fast Track Initiative.

Last updated 4 July 2008

 

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