Aylin Junga is an Economic Research Assistant at the Sana’a Center. She has been researching the Middle East, and Yemen in particular, for over a decade. Studying Islamic Studies and Political Science (BA) at Heidelberg University, she also worked at the Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research (HIIK), the German Federal Foreign Office, and the United Nations Department for Peace Operations (DPO). She holds an MSc in Middle East Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).
Aylin's latest contributions
Fostering Opportunities for E-Commerce Growth in Yemen
Yemen's e-commerce sector holds significant potential to drive economic growth and financial inclusion, particularly for women and rural communities, but faces major challenges, including poor internet connectivity, limited digital payment systems, and the absence of legal and regulatory frameworks. The country remains heavily cash-based, with … Read more
The Yemen Review Quarterly: April-June 2025
The Economy
Yemen is hurtling toward a humanitarian crisis due to a confluence of factors: sharp aid cuts, escalating conflict, crippling sanctions, and a collapsing currency.
On April 7, the Trump administration ended almost all US aid to Yemen as part of sweeping cuts for more than a dozen countries. The cuts came at a critical time, as Yemen was already … Read more
The Yemen Review Quarterly: January-March 2025
The Economy
The first quarter of 2025 saw escalating US sanctions against the Houthis. The sanctions, intended to suffocate the Houthis financially, could have a negative impact on Yemen’s already fragile financial system, and threaten to disrupt flows of crucial humanitarian aid and remittances, further destabilizing the economy.
In mid-January, the US … Read more
The Yemen Review Quarterly: October-December 2024
The Economy
Yemen is experiencing a severe economic downturn as it tries to navigate long-term fiscal challenges. A World Bank report on Fiscal Vulnerabilities in Low-Income Countries released in late November highlighted Yemen’s dire fiscal situation as among the worst in the world. The World Bank’s Yemen Monitor for Spring 2024 noted that the current crisis … Read more
The Yemen Review Quarterly: July-September 2024
On July 19, a Houthi drone reached Tel Aviv, killing one person and wounding ten, the first time the Houthi group (Ansar Allah) has inflicted casualties in an attack against Israel. Israel responded the next day with airstrikes on the port of Hudaydah, destroying infrastructure and fuel stores and killing six workers. Dozens of others were … Read more