USAID is working with communities to peacefully resolve conflicts and reinforce social cohesion in Yemen.
Yemen is suffering the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, exacerbated by eight years of conflict. War has made communities much more vulnerable in Yemen, pushing more than 15.6 million people into extreme poverty and landing Yemen near the bottom of the United Nations Development Program's Human Development Index (Yemen ranks 183th out of 191 countries).
USAID’S RESPONSE
The conflict in Yemen poses enormous challenges to a negotiated resolution. Over the last few years, the destruction of infrastructure, livelihoods, and social services has weakened the resilience of Yemen’s communities and governance systems. To solve the security, economic, political, and social issues facing Yemen, community members need to be trained to help identify and address grievances, reinforce social cohesion, and promote peaceful approaches to resolving disputes.
USAID promotes responsive governance, community-led peace and reconciliation processes, and the protection of human rights. In early 2023, the Mission launched three new programs to continue building a foundation for peace and stability. These programs will strengthen local and national governance through technical and consensus-building training, encourage public and civil society engagement in government policies and decision-making, and support women within government and civil society to participate safely and meaningfully in governance, peace, and political processes. The programs will also help advance child and youth protection by strengthening community resilience and amplifying opportunities for young people, and will foster community cohesion and reconciliation through activities that mitigate disputes and promote engagement between people from different groups.
KEY RESULTS
The new USAID activities follow the four-year USAID’s Yemen Communities Stronger Together program, which ended in December 2022. USAID funded 24 water, electrification, and sewage management projects proposed and prioritized by local residents in Yemen. The program rehabilitated schools, health clinics, parks, and playgrounds under a program that benefited more than 400,000 Yemenis across Abyan, Aden, Lahj, and Taiz governorates.
Through this program, USAID supported local initiatives that mitigated conflict, strengthened social cohesion, and promoted peaceful resolution of differences to prevent a resurgence of violence in communities.
USAID also awarded peacebuilding grants for 25 activities to strengthen local leaders, organizations, and networks to serve as neutral arbitrators and peace builders. These grants helped set up initiatives and clubs for nearly 600 youth and women, discuss and resolve long-standing conflicts, raise awareness about discrimination, and bring people together to discuss solutions for a peaceful Yemen.
The USAID-funded activities contributed to a 28 percent increase in community members’ level of trust in local institutions, according to perception surveys. During interviews, local leaders said the program had positively impacted relationships between members of the community and local authorities. The program also recorded a 48 percent increase in beneficiary participation in community groups and activities. Local leaders noted that the training received had enhanced their knowledge of conflict management and strengthened their ability to identify and respond to community needs.
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