Yemen: Rebuilding Urban Life Amid Conflict

Yemen’s cities have borne the brunt of over a decade of conflict, with widespread destruction of infrastructure. Waste collection services have halted, urban roads have been destroyed, and critical facilities are without power. The consequences for Yemeni citizens are stark: About 19.5 million people, including 15 million women and children, need humanitarian aid, two-thirds lack access to safe water and sanitation, and healthcare services struggle to meet immense needs.

To address these challenges, the World Bank launched the Yemen Integrated Urban Services Emergency Project (YIUSEP) in November 2017, with an initial $150 million commitment. The project focused on restoring essential urban services across multiple cities.

YIUSEP’s first phase, concluded in 2020, achieved remarkable results:

• Supported 3 million beneficiaries to regain access to basic urban services.
• Generated 1.5 million person-days of work.
• Restored 240 km of roads.
• Provided 1.2 million people with access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services.

Key Factors Driving Success

YIUSEP’s success is rooted in its innovative and strategic approach, which has set a benchmark for urban recovery projects in conflict-affected regions:

• Balanced Regional Approach: Efforts were carefully distributed across Yemen’s diverse regions, ensuring equitable support to cities regardless of their geographic or political contexts. This inclusivity fostered a sense of fairness and maximized the reach of interventions.
• Flexibility Amid Conflict: The program’s ability to adapt to rapidly changing conditions, including conflict flare-ups and security challenges, ensured continuity in delivering essential services even in the most volatile situations.
• Community Engagement: Local experts, local governments, and communities were directly involved in assessing needs and shaping interventions. This participatory model not only ensured that solutions were tailored to local realities but also empowered communities to take ownership of the recovery process.
• Evidence-Based Planning: By leveraging data and conducting comprehensive needs assessments, YIUSEP ensured that resources were allocated efficiently and prioritized based on urgency and impact.
• Integrated Urban Planning: The project recognized the interconnected nature of urban services and approached restoration efforts holistically, ensuring sustainable and synergistic outcomes across sectors.

Strengthening Local Institutions

YIUSEP emphasizes capacity building to ensure the long-term success of urban recovery efforts. The project collaborates with local partners whose capabilities have been weakened by conflict —organizations like the Public Works Project (PWP), the Road Maintenance Fund Implementation Unit (RMF-IU), City Cleaning and Improvement Funds (CCIFs), and the Urban Water Project Management Unit (UW-PMU). Through needs assessments and training, these partners are being prepared to play a leading role in Yemen’s post-conflict recovery.

Tackling Climate Change and Natural Disasters

Yemeni cities face increasing risks from climate change. Recent floods have caused extensive damage to infrastructure and cultural heritage sites, disrupting humanitarian aid and compounding challenges. YIUSEP II incorporates climate resilience into its projects by upgrading flood protection systems, enhancing stormwater drainage infrastructure, and creating climate risk-informed urban plans. These efforts not only mitigate current vulnerabilities but also equip cities to better withstand future natural disasters. Supported by a Bank-Executed Trust Fund financed by the Quality Infrastructure Investment Partnership (QII), climate risk assessments for 16 cities have identified vulnerabilities, guiding efforts to prioritize the critical infrastructure and improve their design.

Reviving Solid Waste Management Services

The conflict has devastated Yemen’s solid waste management (SWM) sector. Infrastructure damage, funding shortfalls, and low service quality have led to environmental and public health risks. To address these challenges, YIUSEP has:

• Provided cleaning equipment to City Cleaning and Improvement Funds (CCIFs).
• Launched a Results-Based Financing (RBF) intervention, supported by the Global Partnership for Results-Based Approaches (GPRBA), to improve SWM services in the cities of Aden, Sana’a, and Mukalla.

The RBF initiative incentivizes municipalities to expand waste collection, enhance financial sustainability, and improve institutional performance. This approach transitions the SWM sector from emergency mode to pre-crisis operations.

Looking Ahead

The Yemen Integrated Urban Services Emergency Project demonstrates the resilience of cities, communities and the potential for recovery even in the face of immense challenges. By restoring critical services, building local capacities, and addressing climate and urbanization pressures, the project paves the way for a brighter future for Yemen’s cities and their residents.

Moving forward, YIUSEP aims to:

• Expand Partnerships: Strengthen collaboration with international and regional organizations to leverage technical expertise and funding, ensuring the project’s sustainability and scalability.
• Innovate in Service Delivery: Integrate advanced technologies, such as geographic information systems (GIS) and digital tools, to enhance urban planning and disaster management capabilities.
• Focus on Long-Term Resilience: Transition from emergency interventions to long-term urban development strategies that address the root causes of urban vulnerabilities.
• Empower Local Communities: Promote greater involvement of local stakeholders, including women and youth, by establishing community advisory groups and facilitating skill-building workshops. These initiatives aim to foster leadership roles within communities, ensuring inclusive and sustainable urban recovery.
• Monitor and Evaluate Impact: Establish robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to measure the effectiveness of interventions and continuously improve project outcomes.
• Link to Global Efforts: Align recovery efforts with global initiatives, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement, emphasizing resilient cities and climate action.

These initiatives underscore the World Bank’s commitment to supporting Yemen in rebuilding sustainable, resilient, and vibrant urban communities that can thrive in a post-conflict era.