Yemen

Countryoffice Yemen

National employees: 150

_{(as at: 31.12.2023)}

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has been working in Yemen since 1969. GIZ moved its offices out of Yemen in 2014 due to the armed conflict. Staff began travelling to the country again regularly in June 2022.

Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Arab world. More than half the population has insufficient access to food and drinking water, and basic health services are limited. The economy is affected by high inflation and declining energy and food imports.

There has been an ongoing armed conflict in Yemen since 2004, and a political solution for lasting peace and sustainable development has not yet been reached. Although the  conflict within Yemen is currently decreasing in intensity, the population continues to suffer the consequences. The humanitarian and economic situation is having an impact on social cohesion. In addition, with more than three million internally displaced people, the country is facing challenges.

On behalf of the German Government, GIZ supports Yemen’s development in three areas.

To foster economic development and employment, GIZ works with micro and small enterprises and job seekers to provide them with training and advisory services, particularly in the areas of solar energy and IT. To boost employment, GIZ improves vocational education and training. It supports educational institutions so that they can safeguard the quality of the education they provide, even in times of crisis. This support includes training staff from central and regional education authorities, offering professional development courses for teachers, restoring the sanitation infrastructure and arranging school meals.

Optimising basic public and social services is also a priority of GIZ’s work in Yemen. GIZ improves public access to health care and social services by teaming up with local private partners, such as universities and local administrations, to maintain health care centres and train medical professionals. In cooperation with water and wastewater companies, GIZ works to facilitate access to water and sanitation by improving data collection, training staff and promoting women’s participation. In addition, activities are implemented that are designed to increase energy conservation and efficiency in drinking water and wastewater plants.

Furthermore, GIZ supports security and peace in Yemen by developing cooperation and coordination capacities within and between local administrations. Priorities here include clarifying roles and responsibilities within local administrations, and planning activities in an inclusive and participatory manner so that local administrations can improve public service delivery. GIZ supports efforts to work towards peaceful coexistence in Yemen by addressing target groups that face multiple discrimination. There is a particular focus on gender equality.