His Excellency the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, Mukhtar Al-Yafai, met today at the Ministry's headquarters in the interim capital, Aden, with the Head of the Rehabilitation and Correction Authority, Major General Dr. Abdulsalam Ali Saleh, to discuss ways to enhance the care and rehabilitation programs provided to inmates in correctional facilities.

The meeting reviewed the correctional facilities' needs for vocational training and rehabilitation programs, essential supplies, and mechanisms for delivering social care

services to inmates.

It also focused on equipping inmates with practical skills and trades that will facilitate their successful reintegration into society upon completion of their sentences, as part of the Ministry's social protection programs.

Minister Al-Yafai underscored the importance of making productive use of inmates' free time through purposeful vocational, professional, and rehabilitation programs that contribute to developing their capacities and preparing them for reintegration. He also stressed the need to ensure inmates' fundamental rights and basic needs, particularly access to food, medicine, healthcare, and social services, in a manner that preserves their human dignity and reinforces the role of correctional facilities as institutions of rehabilitation, reform, and productive development.

The Minister further emphasized the importance of providing the Ministry with accurate and up-to-date statistics on correctional facilities, including the number of inmates, their classifications, and their needs. Such data, he noted, would enable the Ministry to effectively direct the interventions of humanitarian and social organizations, accurately identify beneficiaries, and ensure that assistance and programs reach those most in need in accordance with actual requirements and established targeting criteria.

For his part, the Head of the Rehabilitation and Correction Authority presented an overview of the current conditions in correctional facilities and highlighted their most pressing needs, particularly in the areas of vocational and rehabilitation programs and essential supplies. He emphasized the importance of strengthening the strategic partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor to advance the rehabilitation and correction system and equip inmates with the skills necessary for their successful reintegration into society.