environment

News November 27, 2024 02:02 MIN Climate finance mobilization workshop concludes in Amman A workshop focused on climate finance mobilization mechanisms and strategies relevant to Yemen concluded on Tuesday, November 26, in Amman, Jordan. Held as part of the Rethinking Yemen’s Economy (RYE) Initiative, the Sana’a Center implemented the climate finance workshop aimed at addressing Yemen’s urgent need for funding as the nation faces escalating climate shocks. Climate scientists first began warning of Yemen’s dangerously erratic rainfall patterns nearly 50 years ago. In recent years, the country has witnessed more extreme weather events, including flash floods that swept away vital infrastructure, unearthed unexploded ordinances, destroyed homes, displaced thousands, and contaminated water supplies, contributing to a cholera outbreak. In 2024, flooding in Yemen killed around a hundred people and affected more than half a… Continue reading Analysis October 16, 2024 07:23 MIN Quarterly: July-September 2024 Egypt Maneuvers in the Horn of Africa By Maher Abu al-Majd Since October 2023, the Middle East has witnessed a series of geopolitical developments, which Cairo has perceived as a direct threat to its national security. These include: 1) the Israeli war on Gaza; 2) Houthi escalation in the Red Sea and a subsequent decline in Suez Canal revenue; 3) Ethiopia's quest for a seaport and plans to establish a naval base on the coast of Somaliland; and 4) the crisis in Libya and the potential for renewed conflict. This rapid succession of events has shattered Egypt's longstanding pillars of foreign policy, which for four decades were built on the principles of good neighborliness, non-intervention, and investing in mediation and diplomacy. In response, Cairo has undertaken a series of proactive measures… Continue reading Editorial October 16, 2024 03:48 MIN Quarterly: July-September 2024 Yemen’s Neglected Climate Crisis Severe storms and flooding have wreaked havoc in Yemen since July, affecting over 560,000 people across the country and causing extensive damage to agriculture and infrastructure. Tens of thousands – including displaced persons – have been left without shelter and clean water in Ibb, Sana’a, Marib, Hudaydah, Al-Mahwit, and Taiz. While there is no final tally as yet of the hundreds of lives lost, now there is concern over the spread of waterborne diseases like cholera. Dead bodies are being pulled out from rubble, under trees, or, in one case of a woman clutching her child in Melhan district in Al-Mahwit governorate, buried in mud – a haunting image that captures the weight of this tragedy. The extreme downpours have… Continue reading Main Publications September 23, 2024 25:35 MIN Enhancing the Role of Microfinance Banks for Sustainable Impact in Yemen By Wadhah Al-Awlaqi Yemen's microfinance sector is undergoing a radical transformation. Despite initial success in empowering small businesses, the ongoing conflict has exposed deep vulnerabilities. Competition between the fractured central banks has driven a surge in microfinance bank (MFB) licenses. While this promises to expand financial inclusion, it raises serious concerns about long-term sustainability and financial stability. Several other factors are driving the transformation of existing money exchange companies into MFBs. These include the erosion of trust in the traditional banking system, the growth of the informal financial sector, and maneuvering by the exchange companies themselves. Additionally, lower entry requirements compared to conventional banks make becoming an MFB an attractive option. However, the surge in MFBs presents its own challenges. The divide in… Continue reading Main Publications August 21, 2024 27:41 MIN Women’s Networks Shaping Economic and Social Empowerment in Hadramawt By Dr. Maryam Alkubati This policy brief highlights how women’s networks in Hadramawt governorate have provided crucial support for Yemeni women, helping them overcome professional barriers in a social context where traditional norms often restrict their public roles. Across various professional fields, Hadrami women have credited much of their success to the assistance provided by and opportunities afforded through women’s networks. Both formal and informal, these networks serve as essential support systems, providing women with emotional guidance, professional growth, access to information, mentorship, and collaborative opportunities, which are key to navigating the barriers to economic participation. Prominent organizations have helped bridge the gaps between local and broader community resources, connecting women in Hadramawt with influential figures and opening doors to opportunities that might otherwise… Continue reading Main Publications July 31, 2024 04:01 MIN Every Day Brings a New Livelihood: Women’s Economic Empowerment in Yemen By Multiple authors This report examines the implementation challenges facing organizations supporting women’s economic participation in Yemen. It explores how interventions can be strengthened to foster change in social norms and household dynamics, rather than simply provide short-term income for women. It argues that the short-term nature of international assistance is severely hindering Yemeni women’s economic empowerment and that a strategic shift in engagement is crucial at this critical juncture. This is particularly important given that Yemeni women are increasingly engaging in the labor market, and some donors are focusing more on long-term development strategies. Rising female illiteracy, limited skills, lack of confidence, low self-esteem, and mental health issues were some of the barriers cited as limiting women’s income-earning pursuits and potential. Working… Continue reading Analysis July 23, 2024 10:10 MIN Saudis Give In to Houthi Pressure, Force CBY-Aden to Back Down By Ned Whalley, and Wadhah Al-Awlaqi Threatened with new attacks, Saudi Arabia has forced the Yemeni government to abandon efforts to cut off the Houthi group (Ansar Allah) from the international banking system. Financial sanctions enacted by the government-aligned Central Bank of Yemen in Aden (CBY-Aden) were perhaps the government’s last card in its efforts to negotiate economic relief or affect the power imbalance ahead of presumptive peace talks. Under enormous Saudi pressure, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) canceled measures to consolidate control of the banking sector and financially isolate the Houthi-held north. The CBY-Aden’s position quickly became untenable without political support, and it has been forced to reverse course. The UN Special Envoy’s Office (OSESGY) has now announced that the government and the Houthis have… Continue reading Analysis July 15, 2024 11:13 MIN Quarterly: April-June 2024 The Uphill Struggle for Yemeni Women in Academia By Rim Mugahed April 27 marked the 13th anniversary of the death of Dr. Raufah Hassan, one of Yemen’s most prominent academics, feminists, and activists. In 1993, she founded the first Women’s Studies Unit at Sana’a University, which later became the Empirical Research and Women’s Studies Center. A pioneering undertaking of its time, the research center gained notoriety among Yemenis because of the backlash received from religious conservatives. Due to the center’s work, Hassan became the primary target in religiously motivated incitement campaigns, prompting her to leave Yemen for several years. Decades later, bitter questions remain: Has anything changed concerning the lived realities of female academics in Yemen? And what of the future of women’s studies centers in the country? Although Yemen has… Continue reading Yemen Review section July 15, 2024 07:11 MIN Quarterly: April-June 2024 Houthis Face Mounting Criticism Over Harmful Pesticides By Sana’a Center Staff Following the widespread dissemination of leaked documents and a very public debate on the risks of agricultural pesticides, including accusations that Houthi leaders are involved in the trade of banned chemicals, Mahdi al-Mashat, the head of the group’s Supreme Political Council, addressed the thorny issue on May 19. Al-Mashat spoke during a meeting with leaders from the Ministries of Agriculture and Irrigation and the Environmental Protection Authority and other officials from the Houthi authorities in Sana’a. He dismissed public concerns over the use of banned pesticides and their potentially harmful effects on public health and the environment, characterizing the concerns as part of an international conspiracy. Al-Mashat noted that the pesticide methyl bromide had been used around the world before… Continue reading Yemen Review section April 9, 2024 26:36 MIN Quarterly: January-March 2024 The Economy — The Yemen Review, Quarterly: January-March 2024 By Wadhah Al-Awlaqi The re-designation of the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group (SDGT) by the Biden administration, which took effect on February 16, has sparked a complex debate. The move follows a series of Houthi missile attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait. The designation allows the US Treasury to impose sanctions on individuals and entities affiliated with the Houthis, potentially hindering their ability to fund activities deemed “terrorism” by the US. American citizens and companies are now prohibited from doing business with the Houthis unless they receive special permission. Even companies partially owned by the Houthis or related blacklisted groups are off-limits. Outside the US, the designation sends a strong message to other countries… Continue reading Yemen Review section April 9, 2024 02:31 MIN Quarterly: January-March 2024 The Environment — The Yemen Review, Quarterly: January-March 2024 The fallout from the conflict in the Red Sea extends to its vibrant ecosystem and the communities it supports. On March 2, The Rubymar, a British-owned commercial vessel, sank after being struck by a Houthi missile in a February 18 attack. The Rubymar is the first ship to be sunk since the Houthis began targeting Red Sea trade last fall. The ship was adrift for 12 days, leaving an oil slick some 18 miles long, and it has been posited that its dragging anchor was the source of reported damage to undersea telecommunications cables. The wreck now lies 16 nautical miles off the Yemeni coast at a depth of around 330 feet, and could pose a threat to other ships… Continue reading Main Publications March 21, 2024 31:19 MIN The Impact of Flooding on Agricultural Communities in Yemen By Musaed Aklan Yemen's agricultural communities face a perfect storm of growing ecological threats amid protracted conflict. Flash floods destroy farms, crops, and irrigation systems. Late rains risk drowning mature harvests, and waterlogged fields hinder root growth. Coastal areas battle salinization, and collapsed roads and buried wells hamper recovery. As flooding and changing rainfall patterns undermine yields, farmers struggle to sustain their livelihoods. Over half of Yemen's population is dependent on farming and agricultural work for income. Terrain altered by flooding has stirred tensions as property lines and irrigation channels shift, displacing communities already uprooted by the war. Traditional flood management faces pressure from uncoordinated development and fading communal cooperation, and information gaps persist due to outdated estimates and limited monitoring capacity. Stakeholders… Continue reading