Minister of Planning discusses Yemens upcoming project portfolio with World Bank leadership

Aden - Saba

The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Yemen's Governor to the World Bank Group, Dr. Afrah Al-Zuba, discussed today with the World Bank Regional Director for Egypt, Djibouti and Yemen, Stéphane Gimper, and the World Bank Country Director for Yemen, Dina Abu Ghaida, the Bank's upcoming portfolio of projects and activities for Yemen.

The meeting, held via videoconference, addressed the Bank's projects and interventions in nine sectors, namely health, education, social protection, agriculture, energy, water, infrastructure, and fisheries, as well as technical support provided to the Central Bank, the Ministry of Finance, the customs system, and public-private partnerships.

The meeting also addressed the World Bank's new strategy in Yemen for the next five years, which focuses on energy, food security and nutrition, attracting the private sector, and a package of new projects to be presented to the World Bank's Board of Directors in the coming months, covering the sectors of water, health, nutrition, social protection, institutional building, agriculture and education.

Minister Al-Zuba reviewed the new government's priorities and its approach to economic reform and institutional building, emphasising the importance of the education and health sectors as top priorities for saving Yemen's future and the need to invest in infrastructure for its vital role in connecting communities, facilitating access to services, supporting trade and creating job opportunities.

The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation stressed the importance of empowering national institutions to implement development projects to achieve sustainability and reduce operating costs, calling for the expansion of the World Bank's presence in the temporary capital, Aden, to enhance its proximity to the reality on the ground.

For his part, the World Bank's Regional Director for Egypt, Djibouti and Yemen affirmed the World Bank's commitment to continuing its support for Yemen and maintaining the current level of funding, reiterating the Bank's keenness to coordinate with international and regional partners to maximise the impact of development interventions. 

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)