Yemen

EU and Yemen

The EU is one of the few international actors with a mission exclusively dedicated to Yemen.

Bilateral cooperation

The EU is trying to gradually shift the focus of programming towards possible stabilisation, recovery and reconciliation, with a view to broader state-building in the mid- to longer term. The EU continues to apply a whole-of-Yemen-approach, with in focus on basic needs and life sustaining interventions.

The EU bilateral allocation for 2021 to 2024 amounted to €149 million.

Resilience of local authorities and communities

The Strengthening Institutional and Economic Resilience in Yemen (SIERY) project builds on a long-lasting partnership with UNDP with the objective to strengthen the resilience of local governance systems in Yemen, reinforce the resilience and recovery of conflict-affected communities, and ultimately create an enabling environment for stabilisation and peace.

Food security and nutrition

Yemen is acutely food insecure, and in order to address this with a longer-term approach, EU support focuses on creating livelihood opportunities, strengthening local community structures and food production to transition from food assistance towards self-reliance. “Supporting Resilience Livelihoods, Food Security, and Climate Adaptation in Yemen” (ERRY III) is one of the EU flagship programmes in Yemen, which is co-funded by the EU and the Government of Sweden and jointly implemented by UNDP, FAO, ILO and WFP. The programme focuses on improving productive capacities, agricultural value chains and community assets to enhance food security and resilience of the population in the most vulnerable governorates.

Economic stability and growth

The economy of Yemen remains a root cause of volatility in Yemen, weighed down by double-digit inflation and collapsing currency. EU support notably focuses on:

• Private sector development: supporting key central level economic institutions to function effectively and coherently to lead economic recovery and create the conditions for private sector development.
• Youth employment and entrepreneurship: through the development of skills and competences and the creation of income generation opportunities, particularly for women and youth. The EU supports two flagship programmes in this area, namely: “Youth Employment through Culture and Heritage in Yemen” which provides employment opportunities for 8 000 young women and men while safeguarding the country’s unique cultural heritage; and “Support to youth's entrepreneurship and financial inclusion” which aims to deliver employment, income generation and financial inclusion to more than 40 000 young women and men across Yemen. 

Peace and security

Yemen’s economic, development and humanitarian crises can ultimately only be resolved through an end to the armed conflict. Inclusive and sustainable peace and security remains a key component in the EU’s engagement, including both direct support to the UN-led political process and to Track II and grassroots level peacebuilding. The Peace Support Facility (PSF) is a flagship programme that seeks to support a political process and implement initiatives identified and agreed upon during the peace negotiations.