Based on World Bank data, Yemen has experienced a significant 52% decline in real GDP per capita over the past seven years. This economic contraction has left approximately 21.6 million Yemenis, which constitutes two-thirds of the population, requiring urgent humanitarian aid. The country faces additional challenges, including escalating commodity prices and the impact of climate change. For vulnerable Yemeni families, the threat of food insecurity looms large, making it a critical concern in the current landscape. Over 17 million people in Yemen are grappling with food insecurity, highlighting the severity of the situation.

As per the World Bank, climate change and food insecurity are the leading concerns and challenges facing Yemen. This is why the Public Works Project has adjusted its activities and interventions to align with the needs of the people and the requirements of financiers. This strategic adaptation aims to foster qualitative development in the current stage. The project responds to the pressing challenges of food insecurity and climate change, both of which have adversely impacted the lives of Yemeni citizens. The effects of drought and unpredictable seasons have been particularly harsh. Rainfall delays during crucial agricultural periods have led to a significant reduction in agricultural production in the Yemeni countryside. Since rain-fed agriculture is the primary reliance, this decline has far-reaching consequences. Additionally, torrential rains have wreaked havoc, washing away thousands of hectares of agricultural land and destroying numerous crops, resulting in heavy losses for farmers.

The challenges related to climate and food insecurity prompted the Public Works Project to adapt its interventions. These efforts aim to address these challenges by implementing projects that employ a substantial workforce. The primary goal is to create sources of income to enable people to purchase food. Additionally, the project focuses on constructing rainwater drainage channels to harness flowing torrents, thereby increasing the irrigated agricultural area. Protective walls are also being built to safeguard agricultural land from being buried and swept away. Notably, the Flood project has had a positive impact on the lives of farmers who rely on the land for their livelihood and sustenance throughout the year.

Infrastructure projects, which directly impact people’s daily lives, play a crucial role in shaping inflation rates and influencing the prices of essential commodities. These projects encompass a wide range of initiatives, including road paving and improvements, water and sanitation, and school rehabilitation efforts. Notably, the Public Works Project Implementation Unit (PWP’s PMU) has been placing significant emphasis on such endeavors. Why? Because these projects serve dual purposes. Firstly, they contribute to providing decent livelihoods for Yemenis. By creating employment opportunities and enhancing access to essential services, they empower individuals and families. Secondly, these goals align seamlessly with the priorities of the donor community. As a result, infrastructure development becomes a vital conduit for positive change, fostering resilience and improving the overall well-being of Yemeni communities.

Support for Life

The United Nations' urgent plea for assistance to support Yemen and avert the looming famine is grounded in stark reality. Data from the World Bank underscores the severity of the crisis: 3.5 million people grapple with acute malnutrition. Simultaneously, a staggering 18 million Yemenis lack access to safe drinking water and reliable sanitation facilities. Consequently, Yemen faces recurrent outbreaks of preventable diseases, exacerbating an already dire situation.

The World Bank’s assessment of Yemen’s situation, which shows the catastrophic impact on people’s lives, prompted the Public Works Project to adapt all types of interventions. The project’s primary focus became twofold: providing livelihoods and enhancing food security for the communities benefiting from its implemented projects.

Remarkably, PWP achieved tangible economic and social improvements in peoples’ lives. By delivering essential services to the majority of Yemenis—especially women and children. PWP also succeeded in alleviating the impact of the humanitarian crisis in targeted areas. Basic services, decent livelihoods, and income sources were prioritized, resulting in significant benefits for the people and improvement of their daily lives.

Sustainable Community Assets

The Public Works Project has diligently worked to establish sustainable assets that enhance food security within the community. This endeavor involves the implementation of numerous projects across various sectors, including agriculture, irrigation, water management, rainwater harvesting reservoirs, and rural road infrastructure.

Let's delve into the impact of these initiatives:

1. Agriculture and Irrigation:
   • Through a multitude of projects, the Public Works Project has significantly improved agricultural practices.
   • By safeguarding soil from erosion and implementing protective measures for agricultural land, the project ensures sustainable productivity.
   • Additionally, the creation of floodwater drainage channels has been instrumental in managing water flow and, at the same time, increased the irrigated areas contributing to increased agriculture productivity.
   • Rainwater harvesting reservoirs provide a vital sustainable water source during dry seasons.
2. Rural Road Development:
   • The paving and enhancement of rural roads plays a pivotal role.
   • These roads facilitate the transportation and marketing of agricultural products, reducing costs for farmers.
   • Moreover, they serve as lifelines for citizens, ensuring access to daily necessities and improving overall quality of life.

Everyone benefits

All areas in Yemen benefit from the projects implemented by the Public Works Project, without any exceptions. The distribution of these projects to various regions is guided by a severity of need index. This index considers several critical criteria, including population size, displacement intensity, urgent community priority, and food insecurity. Notably, this indicator is continually updated based on data collected by United Nations agencies.

PWP has achieved success in implementing subprojects that directly impact citizens’ daily lives. These include providing essential water services, rehabilitating schools, paving roads, sanitation services, and safeguarding agricultural lands. The overarching goal is to enhance services while creating employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled workers. This endeavor is particularly crucial given the challenging current conditions in Yemen.

In the face of adversity, the Public Works Project stands unwavering. Yemen’s remote districts, often hard to reach, have not deterred this vital initiative. Instead, they have become its crucible for innovation.

1. Adaptation Amid Turmoil:
   • Yemen’s dire conditions have not halted progress. PWP has nimbly adapted, ensuring continuity and productivity.
   • Its mission? To deliver development with unwavering commitment to all areas of Yemen, even in the most challenging circumstances.
2. Projects That Transform Lives:
   • The project’s canvas is vast, touching daily existence. It constructs schools, paves roads, and safeguards agricultural lands.
   • Water flows, sanitation services thrive, and communities breathe easier. Employment opportunities abound for skilled and unskilled labor.
   • Amidst Yemen’s current trials, the project extends a lifeline to the needy, providing essential services.
3. A Nationwide Endeavor:
   • With resolve, the project spans all 22 governorates, reaching 307 districts out of 333.
   • These are not mere projects; they are beacons of hope. They empower communities, stitch resilience, and redefine Yemen’s landscape.

Support for life!

Rigorous assessments conducted by field monitoring teams of the funding organizations and PWP. have confirmed that projects executed by the Public Works Project have:

1. It significantly elevated the standard of living in targeted communities.
2. Enhanced Access to Services:
   • These projects have streamlined citizens’ access to essential services and reduction in effort and financial burden to obtain goods and services.
   • Access to water sources has been facilitated, while environmental and health conditions have markedly improved. Sanitation initiatives have curbed the spread of epidemics and diseases in population centers.
3. Educational Transformation:
   • Schools, once weary and overcrowded, now exude promise. Rehabilitation projects have reduced student density, fostering an encouraging and attractive learning environment.
   • Parents are encouraged to enroll their daughters in education, amplifying opportunities for the next generation.
4. Roads and Food Security:
   • Rural road paving projects have slashed transportation costs for goods and foodstuffs, bridging the gap between the countryside and urban areas.
   • The Public Works Project’s success extends to food security where targeted communities have been increased. Selected basic services have been provided to the most vulnerable.
   • Short-term employment opportunities were also created, aligning with international efforts to support livelihoods and essential services during this crisis.
5. Dignity and Resilience:
   • Families and communities, already strained by scarce local resources, find solace in the project’s capacity-building endeavors.
   • Local communities hosting IDPs have been assisted in dealing with economic and social pressures.
   • The local economy has been supported through the development of local councils, support for local contractors and the local private sector.

Empowering Communities: Assessing Impact and Fostering Satisfaction

In our pursuit of progress, we evaluate the impact of services provided to communities. This assessment involves a multifaceted approach:

1. Surveys and Audits:
   • We conduct quarterly audit reports and rapid evaluations to gauge effectiveness.
   • Surveys specifically focus on the utilization of the Public Works Project.
   • Additionally, third-party (TPMA) evaluations—conducted by an international monitoring institution (selected by funding agencies)—involve field visits to projects and the feedback of beneficiaries.
2. High Satisfaction Levels:
   1. The results are heartening. Beneficiary communities’ express high satisfaction with the subprojects implemented by the Public Works Project.
   2. The positive effects are tangible: direct service utilization, income gains from job opportunities during implementation, and the acquisition of valuable skills serving as an entry point to the labor market.
   3. These initiatives also foster social cohesion and resolve longstanding conflicts between communities.

Income to Purchase Food

Generating Employment and Income Opportunities contribute to providing livelihoods for the majority of Yemenis. Amidst the tempest of economic turmoil, the Public Works Project stands resolute to achieve this goal. This mission is the creations of employment opportunities to:

1. Empower the Workforce:
   • The project’s heartbeat lies in job creation. It strives to employ a diverse workforce, including those displaced by conflict.
   • These opportunities extend beyond mere employment—they are lifelines. They sustain families to help them lead a decent existence.
2. Alleviate Suffering:
   1. The project’s canvas is vast. It includes infrastructure subprojects—essential for daily life.
   2. It builds rainwater harvesting reservoirs, cradling precious drops for arid days. Protects agricultural land to shield it from erosion, yielding sustenance. Build roads to connect villages and stone-paves streets.
   3. Water supply, sanitation, and school rehabilitation—these are not mere projects. They are lifelines, woven into the fabric of survival.
3. Community Assets, Sustainable Futures:
   • The project’s architects are mindful. They build with community capacity in mind.
   • Local hands will operate and maintain these lifelines. No technical wizardry required—just resilience and care.
   • And the blueprint? It’s a symphony of coordination with funders, harmonizing intervention types and project priorities.

Public Works Project: An Effective Partner for Funding Organizations to Address Food Insecurity in Yemen

The Public Works Project has gained valuable experience operating in a turbulent, exceptional, and complex environment—a unique initiative applied in Yemen for the first time by the donor community. This experience has underscored PWP’s adaptability and efficiency, proving its ability to function effectively under any circumstances, contribute to the alleviation of the most-affected groups and address the root causes of the food insecurity in Yemen.

The Project’s mission is twofold:

1. Creating Employment Opportunities:
   • Recognizing the economic challenges faced by Yemeni families, the project focuses on reducing the difficulties of accessing income generating sources and the weak purchasing powers of Yemeni households.
   • By creating jobs for both skilled and unskilled labor, the project establishes basic infrastructure and implements community service projects.
   • Approximately 35% of the labor force is employed, providing a lifeline for impoverished and affected communities, specifically communities hosting IDPs.
   • Priority is given to displaced communities, ensuring job opportunities for them in both rural and urban areas.
2. Enhancing Infrastructure and Public Services, improving the level of quality and implementation of subprojects leading to improvement of living conditions by:
   • Enhancing public health for citizens through paving of roads, water and sanitation services, and addressing famine through agriculture support to increase cultivable areas.
   • In addition to the effective contribution to the revival of the local consultants and contractors who are getting these opportunities after a long period of stagnation. The Public Works Project ignites their potential, granting opportunities that span the nation. Ready and resilient, they shape our landscape.