Our Work

Yemeni school children take a break from their lesson to smile for the camera.

USAID

USAID is partnering with the government and people of Yemen to help them realize their aspirations of a stable, democratic and prosperous country. We are working with them to grow the economy, improve the government’s service delivery and make it more inclusive, invest in health and education, and provide Yemeni youth with meaningful economic and civic opportunities. We also are providing humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons, refugees and other vulnerable populations.

GOVERNING JUSTLY AND DEMOCRATICALLY

USAID helps Yemen's public institutions by providing tools for public policy development, increased transparency, and greater responsiveness to citizens. For example, USAID’s support made possible the first public hearing in the history of Yemen’s Parliament. USAID also helped support the electoral process leading up to the February 2012 presidential elections, providing both logistical and technical support to the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referenda, as well as promoting voter education and election monitoring. USAID's community-level efforts are informing and empowering citizens—especially women and youth—to build institutions, achieve political and economic reforms, and improve their lives and communities. Recently, to help Yemeni civil society prepare for the country’s political transition, USAID launched a civic education academy offering condensed courses on relevant topics for 165 civil society organizations. In support of a political platform to promote the rights of women, USAID also sponsored a series of workshops leading up to the 2012 Women's National Conference. In addition, USAID established joint youth tribal councils that are mitigating local conflicts and promoting community dialogue.

USAID's community-level efforts are informing and empowering citizens—especially women and youth—to build institutions, achieve political and economic reforms, and improve their lives and communities. Recently, to help Yemeni civil society prepare for country’s political transition, USAID launched a civic education academy offering condensed courses on relevant topics for 165 civil society organizations. In support of a political platform to promote the rights of women, USAID also sponsored a series of workshops leading up to the 2012 Women’s National Conference. In addition, USAID established joint youth tribal councils that are mitigating local conflicts and promoting community dialogue.

INVESTING IN PEOPLE: HEALTH

USAID is extending access to quality health services in remote governorates by renovating health clinics, providing basic medical equipment to health facilities, training midwives and doctors in maternal and child health, and supporting community health education. USAID also provides 15 mobile medical teams (MMTs) with essential equipment, medical supplies and materials. Each fully equipped MMT offers basic primary care, maternal and child care, diagnosis, immunization, and medications—all for free—to needy and marginalized people.

INVESTING IN PEOPLE: EDUCATION

In 2011, USAID supported the Ministry of Education in carrying out the National Examination and Back to School campaigns, contributing to high attendance rates for both end-of-year exams and back-to-school enrollment. USAID also is helping to provide over 50,000 student backpack kits to select schools across Yemen, and is enhancing education by supporting early grade teacher and literacy worker training, teaching aids, the rehabilitation of educational facilities, and the strengthening of community parent, teacher, and student councils.

CREATING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES: ECONOMIC GROWTH

USAID supports infrastructure rehabilitation, provides necessary materials, value chain development, and microfinance and small enterprise support to help improve livelihoods for vulnerable populations. Since 2009, USAID has trained a total of 150 agricultural extension workers, who are providing new knowledge about more effective farming methods to over 4,000 farmers in poor communities. Following the 2011 crisis, USAID contributed to job creation by initiating labor-intensive infrastructure rehabilitation projects that employed over 7,000 at-risk youth in Yemen's major cities.

PEACE AND SECURITY

USAID has helped the government to improve the delivery of services to communities in underserved and unstable parts of the country, with over 400 "quick impact" activities focusing on youth, water, health, education, electricity, and road repair undertaken since March 2010. Projects like these help to increase the government’s legitimacy in these hard-to-reach areas. USAID also has provided humanitarian assistance, such as shelter, water, health care, and food aid, to internally displaced persons and other conflict-affected populations in both northern and southern Yemen. USAID and the Department of State dedicated $73 million in humanitarian assistance in 2012.