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Yemen
A country in crisis

A devastating civil war is being waged in Yemen, the poorest country in the Arab world along with Sudan. In 2014, the conflicts between Houthi rebels from the north and the interim government escalated. Since that time, Houthi rebels have gained control of most of Yemen’s populated area. A coalition led by Saudi Arabia is fighting the Houthi rebels. Acts of war have destroyed large swaths of infrastructure; there are frequently civilian casualties. In many places, the state is not capable of acting. Around 24 million of the 28 million inhabitants depend on humanitarian aid. And epidemics like the recent cholera outbreak repeatedly cause problems.
KfW has been active in Yemen for 50 years. The conditions for our work there have become much more difficult because, since the end of 2013, only local employees from the KfW offices have been working due to security concerns in Sana’a.
Even before civil war broke out in Yemen, only half of the population had secure access to water (150 m³ per person and year) in the arid country. Only one third of the urban population was connected to the wastewater system. The situation further deteriorated whenthe civil war broke out, even if exact figures do not exist: the scarce water resources are overused, which can be ascribed to excessive agricultural irrigation practices in particular (primarily for cultivating khat). It can be assumed that the fossil groundwater reserves in the central regions will be exhausted in 10 to 20 years. The population is increasingly reliant on informal, unmonitored sources of water due to the resulting massive shortage. Conditions like this are what made the spread of the cholera epidemic possible in the first place.
Due to the crisis and the precarious humanitarian situation on the ground, Financial Cooperation has adjusted its approach and is focusing on operating in ways that are as flexible, fast, and needs-oriented as possible. So, KfW is implementing measures in the area of water/wastewater and employment promotion through the Social Fund for Development and UNICEF. On the one hand, this makes it possible to react to acute needs, particularly in the regions with increased numbers of internally displaced people; on the other hand, it simultaneously provides long-term support in the form of structural measures.
Only two thirds of adult Yemeni can read and write. The literacy rate among women is actually below 50%. Only half of girls generally finish primary school. The effects of the civil war are compounding the already existing structural problems in the Yemeni education sector: acts of war and the lack of resources for maintenance are destroying the educational infrastructure. Schools are also being used as shelters for internally displaced people. But a particularly serious factor is that teachers are not being paid: since the official central bank moved to Aden, public salaries – including those for teachers – are only selectively being paid or not being paid at all. The country’s densely populated northern region is most affected by this. So, many teachers have to give up or reduce their teaching positions so they can generate income for their own families.
KfW Development Bank has been playing an active role in the education sector since 1997. Primary schools have been established and expanded in many provinces. As the affected communities are deeply integrated into planning the measures, they are able to independently take responsibility for them, thus facilitating sustainable maintenance of the schools. Furthermore, KfW Development Bank participates in programmes promoting primary and secondary education that aim to improve the quality of, access to, and management of education in Yemen.
Healthcare only existed in part in Yemen, even before the civil war: there was only one doctor for every 3,000 residents and, in rural areas, only a quarter of the population had access to medical services. This situation has deteriorated even further since the war. Subsequently, malaria, dysentery, bilharzia, tuberculosis, typhoid and trachoma have become prevalent. In 2017, there was a cholera outbreak that primarily affected urban regions (over 1 million infections, 2,500 deaths). The situation was not as bad in 2018, but there has been a clear rise in suspected cases this year. KfW is addressing this issue with measures in the area of water/wastewater in cooperation with UNICEF.
KfW is also focusing on improving maternal and pediatric health. Yemen has one of the highest birth rates in the world – every women has between six and seven children. About half of children under the age of five are underweight. The country has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world. Political instability further intensifies these deficits. KfW is committed to supporting family planning and reproductive health programmes. Three governorates have a voucher system for pre-natal care and support during delivery (in return for a financial contribution) and family planning (free of charge).
Further information
- Learn more about the impact of our work in Yemen in our transparency portal
- Read more about our completed projects in the evaluation reports on Yemen
- The BMZ's priorities in Yemen can be found directly on the Ministry's website
- On the website of the Federal Foreign Office you will find detailed information about Yemen
Local office
KfW Office Sana'a
Director KfW Office: Malte Marek
P.O. Box 296
Sana'a
Yemen
Phone: +967 142 63 51
Fax: +967 142 63 50