His Excellency the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, Mukhtar Al-Yafei, met today at the Ministry’s headquarters in the capital, Aden, with Mr. Francesco Gualtieri, Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Yemen, in the presence of Ms. Ameera Muhanni, Gender-Based Violence Program Officer, to discuss ways to enhance joint cooperation and develop humanitarian and development programs in the country.

The meeting reviewed the government’s orientations toward strengthening partnerships with international organizations and integrating roles in both humanitarian and development sectors, in a way that contributes to improving the efficiency of interventions, expanding their geographical reach, and ensuring access to the most vulnerable groups. It also addressed efforts aimed at transitioning from emergency response to more sustainable pathways based on economic empowerment, capacity building, and the development of institutional work mechanisms.

Minister Al-Yafei emphasized the importance of focusing on the most vulnerable and marginalized groups, praising the Fund’s role in providing humanitarian support. He expressed his aspiration to expand its interventions to cover a greater number of governorates, thereby improving response levels to increasing needs, in addition to establishing and expanding safe spaces and strengthening efforts aimed at serving people.

The Minister also highlighted the importance of capacity building and addressing sensitive societal issues, foremost among them gender-based violence. He noted that awareness-raising represents a fundamental pillar in this regard and called for the development of innovative, high-quality programs targeting various segments of society, and for moving from traditional activities to more impactful initiatives.

Furthermore, the Minister underscored the importance of economically empowering women and youth and investing in their promising potential by providing real opportunities for integration into the labor market, including support for remote work opportunities. He also emphasized enhancing youth participation through community dialogues and pointed to the Ministry’s direction toward integrating social affairs and labor programs, as well as developing digital transformation projects to achieve sustainability.

The Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing a safe and neutral environment for the work of international organizations, in a way that enhances the efficiency and continuity of humanitarian interventions and ensures their delivery to beneficiaries without discrimination. He also reviewed efforts to simplify procedures and provide necessary facilitation to organizations operating in humanitarian and development fields, enabling them to implement their programs efficiently and effectively.

For his part, Mr. Gualtieri reviewed the Fund’s key interventions, particularly those targeting the most vulnerable women, and addressed existing challenges and available opportunities to strengthen joint work. He reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to supporting sustainable development efforts and strengthening partnership with the government in line with its orientations in sustainability and digitalization.

He also touched on the importance of women’s economic empowerment, providing safe spaces, and supporting women in managing their own businesses, affirming the Fund’s commitment to developing its programs in a way that meets community needs and contributes to achieving tangible long-term impact.