Ghamdan, a high school graduate and father, works as an operator for the Al-Wajd Water Scheme Project in the Al Misrakh District of Ta’izz Governorate. Until the USAID Addressing WASH Services in Yemen activity implemented by CARE stepped in, the 5,422 residents of Al-Wajd lacked access to a clean water supply.
After many years of conflict, millions of people do not have access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in Yemen. While getting water at home is a matter of turning on a tap for many people around the world, for the locals of Qa’a Rajab in Sana’a, northern Yemen, getting water used to mean a long ride on a donkey to the nearest spring.
With funding from USAID under the Addressing WASH Services in Yemen project, CARE built a protective barrier around the natural spring, two water tanks, a solar-powered water pump system, pumping lines and connection pipes, and two water distribution points much closer to the village. The average round-trip water collection time now ranges between 15 to 30 minutes. This new water scheme benefits more than 300 families. CARE also installed 30 toilets to improve hygiene facilities in the village.
Before the Al Alam Industrial Company became a designated Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) “trusted trader,” it took several days for the Yemen Customs Authority to clear the firm’s imports of woven polypropylene bags. Now the process takes less than a day, saving the business considerable time and money, and giving it a competitive edge over companies that do not have official trusted trader status.
Humanitarian assistance is critical in Yemen, but on its own will not prevent the collapse of key social and economic institutions, stem the tide of conflict, or build Yemen’s resilience to future shocks. For this reason, in 2017 USAID relaunched its development assistance program in Yemen to help put the country on a path to recovery and ultimately to end the need for foreign assistance. USAID works with international and local partners to address the underlying causes of instability. Our work focuses on improving the full spectrum of Yemeni systems and institutions, government, civil society, private sector, and communities, to help lay a foundation for durable peace and resilience.
The only road connecting the village of Shaab Al-Thakhri, which sits in a rural, mountainous area of Taiz Governorate, to the district market and other villages used to be a single-track dirt road destroyed by mud slides and flood torrents every rainy season. The road was rendered impassable except by four-wheel-drive vehicles, making transport near impossible for many, even during emergencies.
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Last updated: February 20, 2020
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