His Excellency Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Dr. Shaea Mohsen Al-Zandani, chaired a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Social Fund for Development (SFD) today, Thursday, in the capital, Aden, to review the Fund's current situation, discuss its action plan for the upcoming phase, and examine measures aimed at strengthening its institutional stability, ensuring the continuity of its development programs, and reinforcing the principles of good governance, transparency, and independence upon which the Fund has been built since its establishment.

The Board opened its meeting by honoring the memory of the Acting Executive Director of the Social Fund for Development, Eng. Wissam Qaed, who was martyred in a treacherous terrorist assassination in Aden. The Board noted that investigations had revealed the involvement of the Houthi terrorist militia in carrying out the attack and paid tribute to the late official's distinguished record of service and his significant contributions to development and local communities.

The Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Chairman of the Board reaffirmed the Government's continued support for the Social Fund for Development as one of Yemen's most successful and important national institutions in implementing development programs. He stressed that the Government would continue to enable the Fund to carry out its mandate efficiently and independently, in accordance with the principles of good governance, transparency, and integrity that have underpinned its success over the past decades. He further emphasized that relocating the Fund's headquarters to the temporary capital, Aden, is a sovereign decision of the Yemeni state and falls within the constitutional authority of the legitimate Government to administer national institutions.

Dr. Al-Zandani stated that the Government would not allow the Fund to become subject to the coercion of an insurgent terrorist group. He noted that, over recent years, the Houthi militia had systematically interfered in the Fund's affairs, intervening in its administrative and executive functions and diverting donor support to serve its own agenda. Such practices, he said, had undermined the Fund's independence, weakened its governance framework, and damaged the confidence of development partners in the institutional operating environment.

The Prime Minister and Chairman of the Board affirmed that the Social Fund for Development would continue implementing its programs and projects from the temporary capital, Aden, with professionalism, efficiency, and institutional independence. He underscored the Government's commitment to providing all necessary guarantees to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the Fund throughout the country, while strengthening oversight and transparency mechanisms to preserve donors' confidence, ensure that funding reaches its intended beneficiaries, and achieve its humanitarian and development objectives. He added that the Government views donors as strategic partners in Yemen's recovery efforts and that the next phase would focus on further enhancing the institutional environment, ensuring the optimal use of resources, and consolidating the Fund's position as a successful national model for managing and implementing development projects across the Republic in accordance with international best practices.

The Board also received a briefing from the Acting Executive Director of the Social Fund for Development, Mr. Mohammed Al-Ban, on the Fund's current situation, as well as its strategic plan to ensure the continuity of its operations and strengthen its legal protection.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Board expressed its full support for the Government's measures to complete the relocation of the Fund's operations to the temporary capital, Aden, safeguard its institutional independence, and enable it to continue fulfilling its development mission. The Board emphasized that these efforts would further strengthen the Fund's role in supporting recovery and development, improving public services, and expanding livelihood opportunities for citizens across Yemen's governorates.