Today in the capital, Aden, His Excellency the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, Mukhtar Al-Yafaei, met with the UNICEF Representative in Yemen, Mr. Peter Hawkins, to discuss ways to strengthen joint cooperation and expand partnership areas in social protection and child protection programs, in line with the Ministry’s plans and strategic priorities.

During the meeting, which was attended by Deputy Minister Dr. Sadiq Al-Jamaei, both sides reviewed areas of joint work, particularly in social protection and child protection, as well as technical guidelines related to case management. They also discussed the development of strategies and institutional frameworks aligned with field realities, aimed at improving the efficiency of interventions and directing them toward the most vulnerable groups. This includes the National Child Protection Plan and several programs implemented by the Social Welfare Fund.

Minister Al-Yafaei emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to building an effective and sustainable social protection system based on accurate data and statistics to improve targeting and achieve tangible results on the ground for people who have suffered from the devastation of war and conflict. He also stressed the importance of linking interventions to humanitarian and development priorities.

The Minister noted that the Ministry is working on preparing a realistic and implementable plan that reflects the needs of society and is based on strengthening partnerships with international organizations. He also pointed to preparations for a broad consultative meeting that will include civil society organizations, international partners, Ministry offices, and relevant government entities to discuss challenges, unify efforts, and develop a comprehensive social protection strategy.

For his part, Mr. Hawkins reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to continuing its support for the development of social protection and child protection programs and to strengthening institutional coordination in a way that contributes to a more efficient and sustainable response and creates a positive impact for beneficiaries.

The meeting was also attended by Saleh Mahmoud, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor for the Social Welfare Sector, and Najla Al-Sayyad, Executive Director of the Social Welfare Fund.