His Excellency Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Mukhtar Al-Yafai met today at the Ministry’s headquarters in the capital, Aden, with His Excellency Patrick Simonnet, Ambassador of the European Union to Yemen, and Her Excellency Janet Sieben, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Yemen, to discuss ways to strengthen the humanitarian response to displacement resulting from the recent military escalation by the Houthi terrorist militia, support social protection programmes, build the Ministry’s institutional capacities, and enhance coordination and cooperation with international partners.

The meeting, attended by Deputy EU Ambassador Luis Miguel Bueno, Head of Development Cooperation Tibo Mouillé, First Secretary for Security and Rule of Law at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Jinta Veldman, and a number of senior Ministry officials, discussed the growing humanitarian needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the governorates of Aden, Lahj, Abyan and Hadramout, as well as ways to target interventions towards those most in need, particularly newly displaced families.

Minister Al-Yafai affirmed that the Ministry, in coordination with relevant government authorities and through specialised units and committees, is working to identify priorities, monitor interventions, and address field-level challenges facing local and international partners, thereby contributing to a stronger response to the needs of displaced persons and host communities.

Minister Al-Yafai noted that, despite the military escalation by the Houthi terrorist militia and the humanitarian and security challenges it has created, the capital Aden and the other liberated governorates remain safe and conducive to the continued operations of international organisations and civil society organisations and the implementation of their programmes. He expressed his appreciation for the presence of the European Union Delegation and the Ambassadors of the European Union and the Kingdom of the Netherlands on the ground amid the difficult circumstances facing the country, describing their presence as highly valued for the message of solidarity and support it conveys to the Yemeni people and state institutions.

The meeting also addressed the upcoming Child Protection Conference, scheduled to be held in the Jordanian capital, Amman, in support of the implementation of the National Child Protection Plan. The participants stressed the importance of mobilising the partnerships and resources required to implement the conference’s outcomes, while expressing hope that the European Union and its Member States would play an active role in participating in the conference and supporting its outcomes, thereby strengthening the child protection system and the response to the needs of children and the most vulnerable groups.

Minister Al-Yafai underscored the importance of strengthening the capacities of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and providing professional development for its staff, given its direct governmental responsibility for social protection, labour, civil society, and the needs of the most vulnerable groups. He expressed the Ministry’s expectation of active contributions from the European Union and its Member States to training and technical capacity-building programmes, as well as support for the Ministry’s plans and efforts to develop its tools for managing protection-related portfolios and regulating the work of civil society organisations. Such support, he said, would contribute to greater transparency and improve the efficiency and impact of interventions.

With regard to the work of the Social Fund for Development, Minister Al-Yafai affirmed that the Fund is an independent national institution and stressed the need to preserve the principles upon which it was established. He explained that the measures related to relocating the Fund’s headquarters and executive management to the capital, Aden, would not affect the continuity of its programmes and projects. At the same time, he stressed that the Ministry would not allow the Fund’s mandate to be diverted or its humanitarian and development activities to be used for purposes beyond their intended objectives of serving citizens and targeted groups.

For their part, the Ambassadors of the European Union and the Kingdom of the Netherlands expressed their appreciation for the efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour in addressing humanitarian and social issues. They stressed the importance of maintaining coordination and cooperation with the Ministry and relevant government authorities in order to strengthen the humanitarian response, support the most vulnerable groups, and ensure the continuation of development and humanitarian programmes and projects.

The two ambassadors also reiterated their condemnation of the escalation by the Houthi terrorist militia in Yemen and the region, and of its resulting humanitarian and security consequences and the worsening hardship faced by civilians. They stressed the importance of maintaining the continuity of existing institutions and programmes and continuing coordination with the government, the Ministry, and international partners in ways that enhance the effectiveness of interventions and ensure that they are directed towards serving the intended beneficiaries.