In an era marked by growing uncertainty at the global level, expanding inequalities, and the climate crisis, it is more imperative than ever to ensure a joint approach to humanitarian action, development and peace.

Following the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, the Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) nexus became a symbol of hope, aiming to bridge the gap between development and peacebuilding actors. This approach seeks to achieve collective progress towards coordinated, coherent, complementary, and risk-informed analysis, planning and action.   

In Yemen, UNDP is supporting this endeavor to advance the HDP nexus, working closely with our sister UN agencies, partners, and the international community across our various areas of work.  Our collaborative efforts aim to address the humanitarian (short-term) needs which are critical to the lifeline of millions of Yemenis, while strengthening their resilience to recover from crises and pave a path to sustainable (long-term) peace.

UNDP Yemen’s vision of the HDP nexus operationalization is grounded in a bottom-up approach that targets the diverse actors within Yemen’s communities. This multifaceted process has taught us how to adapt to an ever-evolving context, while uniting partners in development. 

A key example of this approach was our establishment of the UN Peace Support Facility (UN PSF), co-led with the United Nations Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen (OSESGY) and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) to Yemen.  The UN PSF was set up to support the agreements reached during the 2018 Stockholm negotiations led by OSESGY, and implements initiatives that can deliver tangible, rapid, and lasting impact on Yemenis’ daily lives while simultaneously garnering local support for the peace process. 

This simultaneous approach to short-term and long-term impacts echoes throughout our programming. Through our work to strengthen institutional and economic resilience, we collaborate with local authorities, community structures and the private sector to build capacities for peace across Yemen and support governance and economic initiatives.

Our interventions are varied yet interlinked; through ensuring livelihoods for rural women, we promote multiple income streams, and we work across Yemen to support food resilience with a lens for sustainable farming. We ensure the use of solar energy for both small, locally owned businesses, and to power large-scale infrastructure, such as hospitals. 

Water resource management, sustainable fisheries, and functioning port infrastructure are all a part of UNDP’s support to ensure long-term economic success within Yemeni communities. We also implement projects that promote inclusive access to justice, often focusing on the most vulnerable, such as women and youth, to ensure the delivery of security and inclusive justice services. Supporting social cohesion and mediation efforts within communities, we are paving the way towards open, communal management of conflict. 

UNDP Yemen’s focus area is broad, encompassing both immediate and long-term developmental needs and goals, using partnerships as a strength. Our projects all contribute to one cause – a more stable and prosperous Yemen. We also take a whole-of-Yemen approach, covering all governorates and districts, to ensure that our work serves all Yemenis, especially those who are furthest left behind.

In Yemen, our pursuit of multilateral solutions doesn’t come without its challenges, and we often face hurdles that impede our efforts to address the root causes and consequences of crises. Among these challenges are limited funding and lack of access to materials and resources. Through close collaboration with local and national partners, we work hard to innovate in the face of diversity. 

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to UNDP’s partners in development, both in Yemen and internationally, who continue to demonstrate their unwavering commitment to multilateralism and supporting community resiliency in Yemen.