Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Dr. Afrah Al-Zouba, met today in the temporary capital, Aden, with the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Yemen, Zeina Ali, to discuss the Programme’s intervention plan and future areas of cooperation in support of sustainable development.

The meeting, attended by Deputy Minister of Planning and International Cooperation for International Cooperation Omar Abdulaziz and UNDP technical specialists, reviewed the Programme’s ongoing projects and their implementation progress. These included fisheries development and fish landing infrastructure projects in several governorates, the SIERY Institutional Capacity Building Project, economic development initiatives through value chains and support for small enterprises, institutional reform programmes, support for government ministries and institutions, assistance to the Central Bank of Yemen, and public financial management projects implemented with the Ministries of Finance and Civil Service.

Dr. Al-Zouba highlighted the significant contribution of UNDP’s programmes and projects to advancing development and improving essential public services. She emphasized Yemen’s growing need for sustainable development initiatives capable of addressing the country’s current challenges and stressed the importance of aligning UNDP interventions with national priorities and government plans to achieve tangible results for citizens.

The Minister also underscored the importance of shifting from humanitarian assistance toward long-term development, particularly at this stage of Yemen’s recovery. She referred to UNDP-supported projects in the water sector, especially in Taiz and Lahj governorates, noting that Yemen is among the countries most severely affected by water scarcity and that greater investment in this critical sector is urgently needed. She also outlined priority needs in the health and education sectors and emphasized the importance of directing support toward projects with sustainable and measurable impact.

Dr. Al-Zouba stressed the need to maximize the effective use of available resources by prioritizing high-impact projects. She reaffirmed the Ministry’s support for UNDP as a key development partner and outlined the Ministry’s efforts to strengthen institutional performance and improve its capacity to absorb international assistance and mobilize additional development financing.

For her part, UNDP Resident Representative Zeina Ali presented an overview of the Programme’s operational framework and its coordination mechanisms with the Government of Yemen across different sectors and national institutions. She explained that UNDP’s work in Yemen focuses on improving livelihoods and income generation, promoting good governance, supporting peacebuilding, and advancing programmes in energy, water, and climate change.

She reaffirmed UNDP’s commitment to continuing its role as a key development partner for Yemen and to strengthening cooperation with the government in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals.