Minister of Planning Announces World Bank Approval of ‘Cash for Food and Livelihoods’ Project for Yemen

[01/07/2026 12:48] 
Aden – Saba News

The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, and Yemen’s Governor to the World Bank Group, 
Afrah Al-Zuba, announced that the Board of Executive Directors of the International 
Development Association (IDA), a member of the World Bank Group, had approved the “Cash 
for Nutrition and Livelihoods’ project for the Republic of Yemen, with a grant from the 
International Development Association (IDA) worth $100 million, in addition to co-financing of $1.8 
million from the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Yemen’s Resilience, Recovery 
and Reconstruction, bringing the total project cost to 101.8 million dollars.

The approval of the project is in line with the priorities of the new Country Partnership Framework between
Yemen and the World Bank Group for the period 2026–2030, and supports efforts towards economic recovery,
strengthening food security, improving livelihoods, and the gradual transition from
humanitarian response to capacity-building for national institutions.

The project targets households headed by pregnant and breastfeeding women, and mothers of children under 
the age of two, in a number of governorates most affected by malnutrition and stunted 
stunted growth, through targeted cash transfers, combined with nutrition awareness sessions, 
early screening for malnutrition, and referrals to health services, alongside a 
livelihoods support component comprising community savings and loan associations, digital micro-employment opportunities
 for young people, and a further component to strengthen institutional capacities, social protection 
systems, digital payments, and facilitate beneficiaries’ access to identity 
documents.

The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, in a statement to the Yemeni News Agency 
(Saba), that the project’s approval embodies the World Bank Group’s continued commitment to supporting 
the Yemeni people and reflects the strength of the partnership between the government and the Bank in light of the 
exceptional circumstances the country is facing. She commended the efforts made by the Bank’s management 
and its technical teams to bring the project to fruition.

Minister Al-Zuba explained that the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, in its capacity as 
the main focal point for coordination with international partners, had continued to coordinate 
and mobilise support for the project from its earliest stages, ensuring its alignment with the government’s programme 
and national priorities, and ensuring that its impact reaches the most vulnerable groups.

The Minister reiterated the Yemeni Government’s appreciation to the World Bank Group for its 
ongoing support, expressing Yemen’s aspiration for an effective and fruitful partnership during the period 
(2026–2030), which will contribute to improving citizens’ living conditions and strengthening the resilience
of national institutions.