Twenty-seven Yemeni civil society organizations (CSOs) submitted recommendations to the international community on the effective transition from humanitarian aid to development assistance, and the integration of a Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) Nexus approach in Yemen.
Facilitated by the Sana’a Center’s Yemen Peace Forum (YPF), these recommendations were presented in a meeting held remotely on November 9, 2023, which convened local civil society organizations with several representatives from international organizations, donors, and UN agencies.
CSOs underscored the need for interventions to cover broader segments of Yemeni society, making sure to include marginalized and vulnerable communities, including the elderly and persons with disabilities. They also called for the participation of the private sector, youth, civil society and women in planning, implementing and monitoring future interventions in Yemen that aim to transition from humanitarian relief to development.
The recommendations pointed to the need for heavy investment in skills building, providing Yemeni communities with measurable and transferable skills that can support them in earning an income. Also put forward was the need for clear guidelines, agreed upon by civil society organizations and stakeholders at the local, national, and international level, that contribute to a deeper understanding of the HDP Nexus approach and its application in Yemen.
Osamah Al-Rawhani, the Executive Director of Policies and Partnerships at the Sana’a Center, said that the Yemen Peace Forum amplifies the voices of 31 Yemeni youth and 27 local civil society organizations hailing from various governorates. The forum, he added, works on four priorities: providing a platform for Yemeni youth and CSOs for collective dialogue and discussions, influencing policies on issues of priority to them, knowledge production, and interventions and programs that build their capacities.
The Yemen Peace Forum is a track II platform for civil society and youth organized by the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies with funding from the Dutch Embassy. It seeks to invest in building and empowering the next generation of young men and women, as well as Yemeni civil society actors, and engage them in critical national issues.
The Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies is an independent research center that seeks to make a difference through knowledge production, focusing on Yemen and the neighboring region. Its publications and programs in Arabic and English cover political, social, economic, and security developments to influence local, regional, and international policies.
