Preface

The Government of the Republic of Yemen represented by the Ministry of

Planning and International Cooperation (MoPIC), is honored to present herein
its national report appraising the implementation of the Brussels Programme
of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the decade 2001-2010
(BPOA). The report focuses on the achievements the opportunities, and
constraints against the objectives, targets and commitments of the BPOA. It is
prepared in conformity with the provisions of the programme document and
the UN General Assembly 63/227 on convening in early 2011 the Fourth
United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCIV) and
the Guidelines set out by the UN-OFFICE OF THE HIGH REPRESENTATIVE
FOR THE LEAST DEVELOPMENT COUNTRIES AND SMALL ISLAND
DEVELOPING STATES OHRLLS for the LDCIV preparations at the national,
regional and international levels. The MoPIC is grateful for the support
extended though the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific (ESCAP) to facilitate the preparation of this report and then, to
consolidate it with the other ESCAP LDCs reports. The importance of such a
report is well perceived. It is intended to help making the voice of each LDC
heard about the progress made through the finishing BPoA implementation
and the vision a head to meet the critically persistent needs through a new
legitimate programme for a new decade with stronger advocacy and more
effective interventions nationally, regionally and internationally.

I. Introduction:
The Republic of Yemen is a 19-year- young democracy on the south east
corner of the Arab peninsula and, also, Asia. It was born in may 1990 after the
reunifying the whole Yemen Land peacefully and merging the two different
systems of its previous two LDC states, the socialist in the south and the
semi-opened in the north. Since then, Yemen has been enjoying one
constitutional, republican, and pluralistic system with parliamentary-
presidential regime; the Cabinet reports to both the president who appoint it
and the parliament which approve it. Meanwhile, the newly emerging state,
from its year inception, had to face many hardly tolerated challenges
presented, for instance, by (1) The high costs of the reunifying process at the
expense of the development resources (2) Being part of a troubled region
affected by the break out of the First Gulf War in 1991 which forced the return
of about one million Yemeni Emigrants in the Gulf States and changed the
attitudes of the main donors to decrease sharply the ODA to Yemen. (3)
Fixing the foundations of the unity and oppressing the bloody and destructive
armed conflict fueled by a secessionist group, which threatened the unity to
failure. (4) The low social and economic indicators inherited from the past in
both parts and still remain far below the international standards. The country
is still suffering from the consequences of these challenges up to today.
The situation has been more stable since 1995, when the social solidarity and
the political well for good governance prevailed. By then, the government had
started adopting a comprehensive agend for Economic, financial, and
administrative reforms to deal with the development determinants and meet
the prerequisites of integration with the new world system. The second free
and parliamentary elections were undertaken in 1998. The First Five-year
development plan had been designed and implemented for the period 1995-
2000. The decade 1991-2000 ended with tangible development improvements
scoring about 7% GNP growth rate in 2000. Neverthless Yemen is still in the
LDC class with respect to the UN LDC criteria and the other indicators on the
development scale. It is still living the same position in the current decade, the
period of the ongoing BPoA 2001-2010 which is the domain of this report.

II. Policy Frameworks and BPoA-Related Developmens:

Yemen has become very rich with the necessary development literature in
theory and in practice, through not so perfect, including the studies, surveys
data bases, situation analyses and common country assessments. This
literature helps the government identify clearly the development determinants
critical needs, priorities, the potential resources and capacities, the areas of
strength and weakness, and the opportunities and challenges. Having realized
these dimensions, the government, with external technical and financial
support, has been working on a continuous short, medium, and long run
planning process to facilitate, mainly pro-poor, economic growth and
sustainably balanced development at the national, sectural, urban and rural
levels. Thus, the planning process has produced various national policy
framework paralled and reinforced by the different donors cooperation
modalities and frameworks for political, economic, social, and environmental
development, taking into consideration, the national and international
obligations.

A. Policy Framework:
1. On National Side
a) Yemen Strategic Vesion 2002-2025: This vision encompasses a
total long run ambitions, perspectives, and goals that the people
inspires to attain. The overall objective of the vesion is to place
Yemen by 2025, among the countries of inclusion middle human
development. It predicts the future growth. It serves, generally, as a
background and reference for the medium and short term planning,
strategies and policies.
b) The second 5-year-Economic and Social Development Plan (DP),
2001-2005, and the poverty reduction strategy paper (PRSP) 2003-
2005. This two frameworks were separated but interrelated,
interdependent, and similar in most of their features and policies.
They were the first cycle of the Vision 2025, and they served the
same priorities to realize economy growth with average of 5.5%
annual growth rates, to reduce poverty rates, generate jobs, and
ensure social welfare and economic stability.
• The Third 5-year- Economic and Social Development Plan for
Poverty Reduction, (DPPR) 2006-2010. Based on the lessons
learned, the 5-year-Plan and the PRSP are merged in one policy
framework.
This merge is justified, in one hand, by the importance of (1)
unifying the frameworks of knowledge, approaches, and planning
policies, (2) ensuring efficiency of resources and allocations against
the priorities, and (3) preventing conflicts, duplications, and overlaps
in the development process. In the other hand, it emphasizes that
 the main development focus is on growth for poverty reduction. In
addition, the third plan was designed to reflect the political well and
the government resolves to implement the National Agenda for
reforms, which aim at, inter alia, (1) improving enabling environment
for local and foreign investment and enhancing international trust in
Yemen Economy, (2) stimulating the economic growth with annual
average of 7.1%, (3) promoting private sector and civil society
involvement and partnership at all levels.
The Public Investment programme, PIP, 2007-2010:
• The government put in place this programme, PIP, as a policy
framework to implement the DPPR. It contains about 85 projects
serving the various sectors. The finance of the PIP was projected to
come from the government and self resourcies by 45% and from the
external sources by 12%, and about 43% estimated by $ 6.3 billion
remained as a finance gap.

2. On the Development Partners Side:

a. The United Nations Assistance framework, UNDAF:
Yemen was among the first countries adopting and implementing the UNDAF
document in close collaboration with the UN Country Team (UNCT)
(RC/UNDP, UNECIF, UNFPA, FAO, IFAD, ILO, WHO, UNCHR). The
government welcomed the UNDAF modality within the UN reforms and as it is
an efficient mechanism for better coordination of the collective and individual
development operations of the UN family in the field, based on common
country assessment (CCA) and in full harmony with the national planning
commitments.
The first UNDAF for the period 2002-2006 was merely experimental without a
matrix of action and mechanism of monitor, review and evaluation. This
shortcomes were corrected in the second UNDAF document which was
signed for the period 2007-2010. The table below shows the themes selected
for the second UNDAF and their harmony with the MDGs and DPPR.

Table:
UNDAF CCA Challenges MDGs DPPRR
Outcomes
Governance Accountability Millennium
Enhancing good
and participation Declaration
governance +
decentralization
Gender Equality Gender Equality MDG3 Empower women in
and Women economic, social &
Empowerment political activities
Population & Population, youth MDGs 2-7 Improving human
basic social & children capital and social
services protection
Pro-poor growth Population, youth MDGs 1,7 & Economic reforms
& children 8 and openness

b. The Country Assistance Strategy, CAS, of the World Bank:

The World Bank plans its interventions preodically in a 4-year framework, The
CAS is finalized after a number of consultative meetings had been organized
based on the participation and comments of many public stakeholders. It
considers lesson learned from the previous CAS, the national priorities, and
the economic and social priorities and updates. The main focus of the
assistance has been and is still on the issues of poverty, economic, and
human development including economic reform and integration with the new
world system, enhanced education quality and labor force skill, social
integration therough work in areas such as gender, health, and social safety
net, and management of water resources. As of the end of 2008, the portfolio
of the WB/IDA contained 17 projects, accumulated from the last and ongoing
CASs, with a total commitment of USD 855 million. Most of the loans are
investment projects covering the economic and social sectors, including urban
development, health and social protection education, infrastructure (energy,
transport fisheries, environment and public sector.

Political and Social Developments:

Participation: The community has been to some extent in highly politicized to
practice political rights through free election, party membership, and free and
independent press. More than 25% of the population are registered in the vote
records. About 20 political parties are licensed. It has also, been increasingly
mobilized to play effective role through NGOs. CBOs and local councils.
National Dialogue: National dialogue with the opposition parties and the other
actors is pursuit freely and peacefully to reach national consensus on the
critical issues including the National Agenda of Reforms, constitutional
amendments for better governance, further development, and general
security. In this direction, an agreement had been reached with the opposition
to extend the existing parliament term and delay 2009 elections for two years.
Destabilization: The country is destabilized by many frequent unlawful. The
radicals affiliated to AlQ'eda, the armed rebels in the North, the separatist
movements in the South, and the pirates in Arab Sea and the Indian Ocean.
These acts have seriously affected the investment, tourism, domestic and
cross border trade, the offshore exploration of gas, oil, and the whole aspects
of live. They consume a lot of the development resource relief the affected
citizens, and reconstruct the damages incurred, and fund the police and
military operations.
The poor suffered greatly from two adverse shocks in 2008. First, a 60
percent spike in food prices during 2007-08 reduced standards of living
throughout Yemen. Currently, around 35 percent of the population is below
the poverty line and higher food prices may have pushed an additional 6
percent into poverty. Global food prices have moderated since mid-2008 but
they remain high by historic standards. Second, floods in the South in October
2008 resulted in losses and damages of about 8 percent of GDP, with the
poor of Hadramout suffering the most.

Economy Developments:
Economic Dialogue:
 • Paris Meeting: An international donors meeting on Yemen
convened in Paris in October 2002 to mobilize additional support to
help implement the second – 5 – Year– DP and the PRSP (2003-
2005). The meeting concluded with agreement on a package of
further economic support for $2.3 billion.
• London Meeting: The Government, the WB and the Gulf
Cooperation Council, GCC organized a Consultative Group
Meeting, CGM, in London in November 2006. The meeting was a
further launch to strengthen partnership with the donors community.
It was meant, in particular, to qualify Yemen economy to meet the
minimum requirements of integration with the GCC Economy. The
government presented its policies as outlined in the DPPR and the
PIP with concern to fill the financing gap which was estimated at
that time by $6.3 billion. Up to end 2007, the total of $5,312 billion
pledges (50% GCC bilateral) had been announced, ($2921 billions
as grants, 2,391 as loans), to represent 84% of the PIP finance gap.
Three post – CG meetings had been held, the last of which was on
5 April, 2009. The table below shows the status of the pledges as of
Feb. 2009.
Table ( ) The Status of CG Pledges as of February 2009 (in million
US$)
Donor Pledged Allocated Signed Disbursed
I. GCC 2677 2129 711 12
Bilateral
II. GCC 1226 1006 382 2
multilateral
III. Bilateral 1678 1386 1139 362
(OECD DAC
and Others)
Total 5581 4521 2232 376
Source: MOPIC (official data exhibits some minor inconsistencies).

• Yemen – GCC integration: Progress has been made toward

Yemen access to GCC. First, Yemen had been admitted to the
GCC boards of Health, Education, Youth, and Social Affairs. In
December 2008, it was admitted to four new GCC entities in the
fields of standardization, consultancy, accounting and auditing, and
radio and television. In March 2009, Yemen was, also, admitted to
the membership of the GCC Federation of Commerce Chambers.
This additions would make ties with the GCC States more closer
and promote Gulf private investment in Yemen.

Macroeconomic Developments
Oil Situation: Yemen economy is revolving up down around the oil situation
in terms of amount and price, export, and consumptions, subsidies and
derivatives import. Oil was discovered in the 1990s with lowest quantity of all
the region producing states, and the extraction trend is turning downward from
a peals of 460,000 barrels a day in 2002, falling by 12% in 2007, to the current
rate of 300-350,0000 barrels a day. Yemen's oil sectors provided 90% of
export earnings, 50% foreign trade and 75% of governance revenue. The
economic developments of surplus or deficit is governed by this situation:

III. Implementation Achievements of the BPoQ, 2001-2010

The BPoA implementation in Yemen has been considered, albeit indirectly, in
the national development plans and strategies over lapping the BPoA, and it is
progressing with considerable external support measures. This section assess
the progress made against the purposes of the BPoA in the context of overall
development achievements during, the period 2001-2008.
A) The principal objective:
1. AGDP annual growth rate of 7%:
Yemen economy has attained a GDP growth rate of an annual average of
4% since 2001. The rate continued around 3% except in 2005 when it
reached 5% due to an increase of the oil revenue. Then it slipped down to
3.2% in 2006, the first year of the DPPR, as it did from 7.7% in 2000 to
3.5% in 2001, the first year of the second DP. The situation could have
improved if the reforms and the NLG export were not delayed and global
crises did not rise.
2. The ratio of investment to GDP increased to 25% per annum:
The economic performance disappoints here the BPoA as well as the
national planning for the ongoing decade. The growth rate of investment
declined from 16.1% in 2004 to 3.4% in 2006 due to the retreat of both the
public and private investment. As a result, the investment to GDP ratio
decreased from 20.3% in 2004 to 18.4 in 2007. The PRSP and the second
DP projected the ratio growth to reach 26% and 28% of GDP respectively
in 2005; all the plans assumed the contribution of the private sector by
more than 60% of total investment. The results: however, proved the
superiority of the public investment with its increasing share, above 50%
against the decreasing private sector share around 40% of the total
investment.
Generally, the failure to achieve the above objective is attributed, first, to
the unstable oil situation, the slow allocation, transfers, and withdrawal of
external assistance, and weakness of enabling investment and doing
bossiness environment.

B) The Main Priorities:

1. A Significant Reduction in extreme poverty (MDG1): The
government, the World Bank and UNDP have jointly produced a main
report on Poverty Assessments, Household Budget Survey, HBS,
2005/06. The survey shows the decrease of poverty in Yemen from
41.8% (6.9 million) in 1998 to around 34.8 (7.3 million) in 2005/06
including those who cannot afford sufficient food clothing, shelter,
health service, education, and transport. There is also a decrease in
hunger/extreme poverty from 17.6 in 1998 to 12.5 of the total
population; the number remained constant at 2.9 million people. Due
to the high population growth rate at 3%. WFP and UNDP found an
increase in food poverty to 27% of household (6.2 million population)
in 2007.
 2. Geographically, urban poverty fell dramatically from 32.2% to
20.7% benefited from oil-led growth while rural poverty declined only
from 42.4 to 40.1% in the same period, 1998-2005/06.

3. Child malnutrition remains of a high concern in Yemen. Poor

families children (2-5 years old) suffer from severe stunting,
underweight and wasting. Stanting is the most severe mainly in the
rural areas (23.5% urban VS 33.2 rural) see the table with this results,
distance is still long to reach MDGI.
table ( ) Pre3valence of Severe Malnutrition (%)
National Poor Non- Urban Rural Boys Girls
average poor
Severe 27.5 31.7 26.0 23.5 33.2 29.2 25.7
Stunting
Severe 11.6 13.7 11.0 10.2 13.7 12.4 10.9
underweight
Severe 10.2 9.6 10.4 10.0 10.5 11.0 9.4
wasting
Source: World Bank Estimates from the 2005 HBS.

2. Developing human and institutional resources to support sustained growth

and sustainable development (MDG2-6) :
Education: The Basic Education enrolment increased from 3.95 million pupil in
the school year 2003/04 to around 4.27ml. in 2006/07 (58.5% were boys and
41.5% were girls). Net enrolment growth rose from 55% to 62.2%, with 3.3%
annual growth rate. The annual growth rate for girls was superior with 5.7%
against 1.7 for boys. The enrollees in secondary education increased from
581 thousand to 589 thousand with annual average growth of 1.8% in the
same period. The gender enrolment rate in 2006/7 was 66.5% for boys and
33.5% for girls. Again the secondary level growth for girls was larger with
5.2% compared to 0.2% for boys. Illiteracy as will decline in the period (1994-
2007), nationally from 36.5% to 29%; among females from 76.2% to 61.6%;
Geographically; illiteracy in 2007 was 25.8% and 54.3% in urban and rural
areas respectively.
In higher education gender disparity was still high in vafor of male in 2007.

Institution Number Gender enrolment %

 Male Female
Public University 7 71 29
Private University 13 76 26
2-year Inst. 120 92 8
Vocational T.
Learner
3-year Institute 12 90 10
CSO, 2007. Equality and women empowerment

The government with the DPs intervention is committed to narrow gender gap
at all levels. A special strategy for girl education is being implemented, and
special unit has been established in the ministry of Education to pursue this
trend. In addition, tens of community based training centers spread all over
the country just for woman skills and handcrafts development. Women occupy
more than 22% of the educational manpower and a little less in the other
component of the civil servant system. In accordance with the national lows
and the relevant ratified conventions, all kind of discrimination and violence by
gender is eliminated giving women the same rights, opportunities and
protection. Nevertheless, woman has now only one seat out of 301 seats in
the parliament. The Government Plans to allocate for women a quota in
parliament and the local council and enhance economic equalities where
Yemen still lags behind.
Health: A modest progress achieved;
Child mortality: infant mortality declined from 98 to 75 per 1000 life births
within the period 1991-2005, planned to be reduced by 2% per annum.
Under-5 mortality in the same period declined from 138 to 104 per 1000 life
births. In 2005, 76% of one-year-old children were immunized against males,
planned to reduce infection to 95% by the year 2010.
Material mortality: in Yemen, maternal mortality dropped from about 1,400 per
100,000 life births in 1990 to 366 in 2000, and birth attendance per
percentage by skilled health professional increased by 16% points to 28%
(Arab League). The DPPR records the same figure, 336, in 2005 and plans to
reduce the death cases to 238 and the proportion of skilled attendance to 45%
by 2010.
HIV/AIDS: Yemen response to HIV/AIDS has developed substantially by
adopting 3 principles, (1) one national action plan, (2) one coordinating
authority, and (3) one monitoring and evaluation framework. Other key sectors
are also involved including education, health, police, and civil society. Only
248 cases were reported officially in 2007. Treatment, information, and
awareness are sufficiently available for all.
Malaria: Notified cases of malaria decreased from 9,655 in 1990 to 3329 per
1,000,000 population in 2005. The DPPR plans to reduce the cases by 76%,
and to protect 60% of adult women and under 5 children in the malaria risk
area by Insecticide – treated bed nets. Malaria represents 48% of all cases
reported in 2007 (CSO,2007).
Tuberculosis: The average incidence rate of TB was 191 per 100,000
population in 2005. The cases reported in 2007 were 1694 (CSO, 2007). The
DPPR plans to raise the recovery rate to 85%, and cover 100% of population
with daily monitor, and raise notification to 75% of annual incidence.
A considerable support in this priority is received, mainly, from the Global
Fund to Fight Aids, Malaria, and Tuberculosis, the WB bilateral relations, and
the UN/UNDAF. however, education and health are still underfunded sectors.

3. Removing supply – side constraints, enhancing productive capacity, and

promoting the expansion of domestic markets to accelerate growth, income
and employment generation.
The PRSP and DPs have identified some key targets that empty into this
priority.
- Restructuring the economy to remove all constraints on the path of free
markets and of the private sector investment focusing on the productive
and promising sectors, agriculture, fishery, tourism, oil, mining sectors and
non oil industries that are intensive employment. This target could be
approached through implementation of privatization programme (64
establishments) and gradual increase of investment to reach in total 26%
of GDP. The progress here is still below the targets.
- Reinforcing policy of free trade and developed and diversified exports, that
absorb technology and create jobs. However, oil, is still the influential 90%
of export, though dwindling.
- Promoting the role of the social safety net to increase the productive
projects and support the small scale enterprise at the local and poor
levels.
- Strengthening infrastructure including highways and feeder roads air and
sea ports, electricity and energy with gas generating plants, information
and telecommunication technology, marketing centers for agriculture and
fishery products.
- Creating disciplined and rationalized financial sector, fair judiciary, and well
institutionalized decentralization.
• These measures involved moderate improvement in some
economic indicators . For instance.
• Non oil sector GDP grew from 64% in 2005 to 71.7% in 2007.
• Per capita GNP 2005-2007 improved for $760 to $965, but the
growth rate declined from 17.1% to 11%.
• National savings percentage of the national disposable income
dropped from 17.2% in 2005 to 4.4% in 2007
• Employment during 2004-2007 developed as follows.
• Labor force (000) increased from 4244 to 4750, with 3.8% grow
rate.
• Employed (000) increased from 3655 to 3965, with 3.7% growth
rate.
• Unemployed (000) increased form 689 to 789, with 4.4% growth
rate.
• Unemployed ratio to labor force increased from 16.2% to 16% with
00% growth rate.
4. Accelerating LDC growth with the aim of enhancing LDC share in world
trade and global financial investment flows.
The policy measures undertaken under the priority 3 above could also
serve this fourth priority. Beside, Yemen and foreign investors work on for
new explorations of oil and gas in the Yemeni Land and sea. Meanwhile,
Yemen has taken rapid steeps to strengthen the economic partnership and
 trade exchange between Yemen and the GCC, including establishing
economic zones on the borders with Saudi Arabia and Oman. Yemen
government has also, proposed a project to establish ten industrial zones in
two phases. The first phase focuses on three industrial zones in three big
costal governorates, and the second is designed to build seven industrial
and export zones in other seven inland and costal governorates. Yemen
invests its geographical, natural, and human advantages to attract different
kink of investment and strengthen its investments abroad.
Yemen is adopting foreign trade policy to strengthen economic openness,
liberalize trade, promote exports, raise the rate of international exchange,
and increase national incomes.

Table ( ) FDI flows to Yemen 2002-2007 (million US$)

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
FDI- non- 797 855 898 932 2438 2536
oil
growth 21.6 7.3 5.1 3.8 161.5 4.0
(%)
FDI-oil 114 181 144 -302 1121 877
growth -15.6 59.1 -21.0 -310.4 -471.1 -21.8
(%)
Source: CBY reports.

5. Environment protection, accepting that LDCs and industrialized countries

have common but differential responsibility.
The government acknowledges the inter-relationship, among sustainable
development, sound environmental management, and poverty reduction. This
is reflected in the DPs, PRSP, PIPs etc. significant progress has been
achieved with great support through the UNDAF and other development
cooperation frameworks.
Environment issue was lifted to cabinet level by creating the Ministry of
Tourism and Environment in 2001, then, setting up, for more focus, the
Ministry of Environment and Water in 2003. The Ministry supervises general
technical authorities, for environment protection (EPA), water management
NWRA as a policy makers, and water supply and sewage as service provider.
External interventions has aimed at harmonizing national environmental policy
and laws, planning and management of natural reserves and protectorates
with sustainable livelihood approaches, and integrating environment, social,
and economic factors at all levels. The efforts have led to (1) improved human
and institutional capacities, updated environmental protection law, of 1995,
with the aim to include new international requirements and integrate national
priority issues, (2) developed National Strategy for Environmental
Sustainability (NSES) (adopted by the Cabinet in 2008). The strategy is
consistent with Yemen millennium goals, particularly with MDGs 1, 3, 7, and
the means to reach them, and (3) established environmental library and
database. Climate Change threats are being addressed. Yemen ratified the
UN Framework Convention on Climate change (UNFCCC) in 1996. Since
them it has initiated a process to meet its commitments under the convention.
CEF/Netherland assistance (1997-2001) helped complete important enabling
activities to cope with climate change.
They include the initial Nation Communication (INC), the greenhouse gas
(GHG) inventory, mitigation analysis, policy frameworks for reducing GHG
emissions and enhancing forest sinks. Further, UNDPG support has extend to
the projects of (1) UNDP/GEF preparation of National Adaptation Action Plan
(NAPA) to broadly communicate to the international community the priority
activities to meet the urgent needs for adapting to the adverse impact of
climate change; (2) National Capacity self Assessment (NCSA) to prepare
national strategy and action plan for addressing capacity constraints on the
way to respond to the global conventions (3) the preparation of the Second
National Communication to the conference of parties, still on going, for the
same purpose of the INC besides increasing awareness and mobilizing
additional resources for projects related to climate change and reduction of
GHG emissions.
The Mine – Action Center has implemented 3- phase project and cleared 173
Square kilometers of mine-explosive-affected land to be returned to local
communities for economic use. Meanwhile six protected areas has been
officially declared for biodiversity conservation and to be managed by the local
communities
The progress made in this priority is qualitatively good at central and
institutional levels in particular, but it is still limited in scope and outreach at
the local and community levels.

6. Food Security and Malnutrition

Yemen faces immense challenges presented by a mix of structural and acute
food security and nutrition problems. Sometimes, they develop, for culternal
and external reasons, to create difficult crisis. Therefore, issues of food
security and malnutrition have been always among the first priorities of focus
Of the national programmes and the external interventions
A. Food Security:
The Government and the World Food Programme conducted a survey of
Food insecurity and Vulnerability Information Monitoring System (FSVIMS)
2003. This survey explored that about 0.5 million families of 4 million
individuals (22% of total population) classified food insecure. These
included 2.5 million individuals (14% of population) who are food insecure
with moderate hunger, and close to 1.4 million individuals (8% of
population) live with severe hunger. Latter, the HBS 2005/06 shows that
there were 7 million poor people in Yemen, meaning that almost 35% of
the population could not meet their basic needs. Food poverty was
estimated at 13% representing almost 2.9 million individuals who cannot
meet their basic food needs.
Based on the rapid assessment, WFP concluded that food security in the
poorest governorates has deteriorated as a consequence of high prices in
2008; and found 24% of households have poor food consumption, and
additional 35% were borderline. UNDP found that the proportion of people
suffering from food poverty more than doubled from 13% in 2005-2006 to
27% in December 2007, implying that food poverty affects 6.2 million
people. UNDP estimates that over 6% of Yemenis dropped below the
poverty line due to rising food prices.
In Yemen, economic access to food is a major food security determinant.
Since food availability is largely driven by imports, e.g. 100% and 90% of
 needed rice and wheat respectively, people produce a small proportion of
their needs and rely heavily on other sources of income. The majority of
food consumed is purchased on the market. This is interesting in light of
three quarters of the population living in rural areas. More severe levels of
food insecurity are associated with a reliance on salaries from temporary
employment. Food insecure households have fewer options for livelihood
diversification to rely on when obtaining food.
B. Malnutrition
Yemen is among the countries with the highest malnutrition rates. Most
recent national data on malnutrition comes from the Family Health
Survey (FHS) 2003 and HBS 2005/06. According to FHS, 53.1% of
children under 5 are stunted, 45.6% are underweight and 12.4% are
wasted. HBS shows slight increase, with 55.7% stunted, 35.6%
underweight, and 13.2% wasted. FHS shows that a quarter of women of
reproductive age are malnourished. The rate of malnutrition among
pregnant and lactating women was high; 27% of pregnant and 35% of
lactating women were malnourished.
Micronutrient deficiencies was also pervasive. A significant proportion of
children and women suffer from low intake of essential micronutrients
including Vitamin A, iron/folate and iodine. For example, the prevalence
of anaemia was 82% in children under five, 83% in lactating mothers and
73% in pregnant women. Maternal mortality of 365 per 100,000 live births
is amongst the highest in the world. Mortality of children under five is at
102 per 1,000 births. Inadequate access to food, inadequate maternal
and child care practices, poor access to water and sanitation and health
services contribute to malnutrition in Yemen. It is also expected that qat
chewing has a negative impact on pregnancy and nutritional status of
infants (low birth weight in infants is 32%). In Yemen critical issues of
malnutrition are inadequate breastfeeding practices and high prevalence
of diarrhoeal diseases. Only 12% of children are exclusively breastfed for
the first six months. Diarrhoea is one of the main causes of child mortality
in Yemen. The prevalence of diarrhoea among children (6-59) was 45%,
exacerbated by inadequate practices of treating
The low status of women in the family and society exacerbates food
insecurity and malnutrition and therefore requires particular attention.

C. commitments
1: fostering people centered policy frameworks:
The successive governments, have committed themselves, as reflected in
the various policy frameworks, to work effectively toward sustainable
human development with decent life for all especially the poor people.
Exerted efforts toward economic growth and poverty reduction resulted in
modest progress in growth of GDP and investment and in poverty
reduction. Assessment of the 2nd DP (2002-2005 shows (1) average GDP
growth rate of 4.1, below the targeted 5.6%, (2) non-oil average growth
below the target of 8% but with increased sare in GDP from 83% to 87%
while oil share declined from 17% to 12.4% (3) average per capita growth
was 1.1% against 2.3% targeted, and (4) employment growth by average of
2.8% below the annual average growth of labor force by 3.9% increasing
unemployment from 12 to 16.8%. in the period (2002-2005).
Total investment, in the same period was dominated by increasing public
investment at the express of decreasing private investment. It grew by
average of 17.6% (close to 19.9% targeted) due to high increase of public
investment expenditure by 25% average (exceeding 18% planned)
increasing from 38,3% to 53.7% of total investment, and growing as
average ratio to GDP by 9.4%.
Meanwhile, local and foreign private sector investment grew by annual
average of 11.5% (below 23.5% targeted) retreating from 60.4% to 46.3%
of total investment.
The GDP growth attained the PRSP target of 4% due to exceptional growth
in 2005, but the investments disappointed the PRSP target within the same
period. After that, the economy continued with annual GDP growth rate
below 4% to remain so far at a midway milestone to reach the rate of 7%,
the target of both the DPPR and the BPoA in 2010. This slow progress is
attributed inter alia, to (1) imbalance in economy stature by relying on
declining scores, e.g. oil and agriculture, and public investment (2)
privatization delays (3) week investment environment.
This modest economic growth helped, hence, achieving modest progress
on poverty reduction at all levels as summarized by the HBS 2005/06 in the
table below.
The poverty indicators confirm the belief that poverty (moderate and
severe) is of rural nature: 27% of total population in urban areas but
account for only 16% of the poor; 72.6% in rural areas, and account for
84% of total poor. Regionally, poverty in Yemen is deeper and more severe
than in other MENA countries.
The Government, in collaboration with the civil society, private sector, and
donors innovated social safety net (SSN) to ensure social protection and
alleviate the adverse impacts of economic reforms such as removing the
subsidies of oil prices and as well of the main food commodities. The SSN
includes (1) insurance authorities (Civil & Military), Social Welfare Fund for
cash help, though minimal, (2) Social Development Fund SDF for
community developments institutional support, capacity building, and small
scale enterprise development, (3) Public Work Project (PWP) to provide job
opportunities through infrastructure development, (4) Agriculture and
Fishery Exports. Promotion Fund to provide support through cooperatives
and the Cooperative and Agricultural Credit Bank (CACB).
Nevertheless, economic growth could not make a big difference in poverty
reduction because of high population growth (3%), high fertility rating (5.5
Per women), difficult geography, and concentrating economic growth
revenues on sectors of intense capital (services, tourism, banking
operations), and the persistent social attitude against woman work.
Further efforts needs to be exerted for restructured economy and reduced
poverty through, more focused pro-poor strategy under the umbrella of
overall strategy. Special attention in future needs to be paid to the rural
areas in terms of human and institutional capacity including health,
education, (basic and vocational), empowering local authorities, linking the
rural activities to those of tourism and service sectors and removing the
social and economic constraints that deter woman involvement in all
development process, completing the infrastructure and introducing the
modern technologies.
 Commitment 2. Good governance at national and international levels
The government has been implementing a comprehensive national reform
agenda (NRA) to reinforce economic integration and partnership, improve
the government efficiency, stimulate economic growth, and expand political
participation. The reform priorities and the key achievements are briefed as
follows:
a. Judicial reforms: (1) enhanced judicial autonomy (separate the supreme
judiciary council from the president authority) (2) reformed commercial
and public funds courts, (3) improved judicial inspection and
accountability, and (4) developed juvenile justice and judicial human
resource; increasing trained judges by 6% and including 30 female
judges (one in supreme court). This reforms aimed at enhanced public
and investors confidence in the judicial system.
b. Accountability, transparency and anti-corruption. (1) Supreme National
Anti-Corruption Authority established and the Financial DIS Closure Low
activated, developing institutional capacity finalizing and implementing
National Anti-Corruption Strategy to improve corruption perception up to
8 points (2) Yemen joined the Extractive Industry Initiative, EII, and
established the Yemen Council for it (YEITI) aiming at improving
transparency in managing hydrocarbon resources. (3) Budgetary
transparency improved, setting up the automated financial, management
information system to share the budgetary information with the public, (4)
the law of Public Procurement and Tenders and new high Tender Board
assisted by technical committee established.
c. Civil service reforms and modernization: Bio-metric system applied, the
cabinet and some ministries restructured, and internal audits law
prepared aiming at quality and cost effective service and high productivity
levels; and expanded decentralization.
d. Economic, fiscal, and Investment Reforms: (1) Promising sectors studied
to increase non-oil revenues and export by 36% and 26.6% respectively,
(2) income tax and customs laws revised to insure justice, upgrade
efficiency of revenue generation, prevent higher rate of evasion; (3)
finalized one stop shop for investors, land registration law and new
investment law, and simplified business startups.
e. Human rights and woman empowerment (1) The Government and the
UNCT though (UNDAF) collaborate to strengthen human right capacities,
adopt a National Human Rights Strategy, harmonize several laws with
international human rights standards, strengthen the role of CSOs raise
awareness, and implement the ratified human rights treaties including the
convention on the child rights, elimination of all forms of discrimination
against women (CEDAW) and the wrost from of child labor. (2) The
government plans to increase woman participation. (15% candidates,
30% votes) 42% of allegeable woman voters are registered.

Constraints: Low institutional capacities, national law harmonization with

international governance, budgetary priorities, slow donors allocations, conflict
of interests, low enforcement of laws, and law paid civil servants.
Yemen Ranking: Based on the World Bank report on indicators of good
governorate (2007) Yemen improved in some areas as the table shows below:

Table: Good governance indicators in Yemen

Indicators 2000 2005 2006
Rule of law 0.11 11.42 15.2
Political stability 11.5 8.2 9.6
Vote & Accountability 21.2 20.2 18.8
Government effectiveness 24.2 16.1 17.1
Management & discipline 23.9 22.4 24.9
Corruption fighting 30.1 33.5 33

Yemen in the Open Budget Initiative survey (2008) ranked 69 out of 85

countries scoring a percent. In corruption perception index, it ranked 131
globally scoring 2.5; in the logistic performance index (2007) ranked 113 out
of 178 countries, in doing business survey (2009) ranking at 126, and in UN
Gender Development Index (2008) scored 0.515.
The Government could take additional steps to improve governance
rehabilitation of the existing capacities at the central, local, and gender level,
refining the laws to meet the international standard, involve the public in
national dialogue and budget process, strengthen the parliament role to follow
up implementation of development policy frameworks, with its routine
mandate.

Commitment 3: Building human and institutional capacities.

Education: Over the last 10 years, some improvements were clear in areas,
for example, of schooling access in rural areas particularly, and narrowed
gender gap, significantly in basic education. However, education sector
continues to suffer from a few structural weaknesses confirmed by low literacy
rate and poor quality and achievement indicators. The current shortcomings
are well-recognized; hence, the government, assisted by the international
donors, is paying increased attention to the general education system. The
National Basic Education Development and Girl Education Strategies are
being implemented well. Program budgeting to basic and secondary
education was introduced in 2007, and Medium-Term expenditure Framework
(2007-2010) has been approved to help better plan education development.
Yemen, so far, has achieved some progress in basic education by introducing
various innovative approaches. These measures include: (1) Conditional cash
transfer to grades 4-9 girls, (2) Whole School Improvement Scheme, (3)
Female teacher contracting, (4) Establishing a Center of Measurement and
Evaluation, and (5) participation of more than 5000 students in Trends in
International Mathematics and Science Study (2007) where Yemen ranked at
the bottom of a list of 36 countries surveyed for respective scholastic abilities
at the fourth grade, (5) designing coordination policy led by the Ministry of
Education (MOE) for school health and nutrition, and (6) tying teacher post to
school. The focus on a supply – drives factor of sub-sector development has
been changed in the last 5 years to the demand – driven factors of enrolment
and detention and to education quality and learning outcomes.
As regards secondary education, a National General Secondary Education
Strategy was approved in 2007 focusing on improvement of quality and
relevance, reducing gender and regional disparity in terms of access and
completion, and institutional capacity building. The strategy also addresses
the role of the private sector as a provider of education at the post basic
education level. The private sector educational services have been expanding
in the big cities at all levels serving only the high income families. In addition,
increasing attention has been awarded to the sectors of vocational and
postsecondary education which is still very small.
The main constraints to education are presented by the low ration of
classrooms and teachers to enrollees; teachers quality, physical school
environments, remote school sites away from the scattered settlement, the
cost opportunity, and poverty. The public supply – side faces, above all
budgetary and resources constraints.
Nevertheless, enrollments has shown increasing trends in the last 10 years.
Girl enrollment in particular is promoted under alia, by raised awareness,
exempted fees, token book price, and food incentives provided by WFP in
some rural area.
Much work needs to be done and much more resources need to be provided
to remove the above constraints of the supply and demand-sides mainly in
terms of maintenance, new constructions, teachers training, and enough
budgetary allocations.
Health:
Health sector has progressed notably but to unsatisfactory level in terms of
quality and quantity. It covers about 58% of total population although health
facilities (Hospitals, Centers, Units) have been expanded to most of the
districts. The public budget allocates for the health sector only an annual
average of 4.2% of the public expenditure, about 1.4% of GDP in the last few
years. According to the UNDAF review (early 2009) the ratio of public
expenditure on primary and reproductive health to total public education and
heath sector expenditure is 27% in both 2006 and 2008. In 2005, life
expectancy rate was 60.6 years (HDR), total fertility rate was 6.2, maternal
mortality rate was 356, targeted 300 in 2009. New-natal mortality rate was 35,
targeted 30 in 2009. In 2003, (1) contraceptive prevalence rate was 13% (2)
percentage of deliveries attended by skilled birth attendants was 13%, (3)
percentage of pregnant women benefiting from at least one ante-natal care
visit was 4%. National Strategies were developed and endorsed including
Reproductive healthy, Birth registration and Home based maternal and new -
born care to accelerate the achievement of MDGs (reduction of maternal
mortality rate) training, services, and awareness targets have expanded to
combat HIV/AIDs, TB, and Malaria. Yemen was certified as “polio free” by
WHO early. Health and education sectors share common constrains, but they
are more critical in health sector.
It is still highly essential in the coming years to up date the data, expand the
outreach of facilities and services, increase professional staff for the rural and
remote areas in particular, qualify the communities to address health
problems, and stimulate the private sector to provide affordable health
services for the poor people and rural areas.

Commitment 4: Building productive capacities to make globalize work

for the least developed contries.
The Government is preparing the country and people by building the
necessary capacities to take advertage of the positive opportunities and cope
with the challenges presented by globalization and the New World system. It
had made notable progress to this end, especially in the following areas.
Infrastructure: Despite the difficult terrain, rood networks have been
constructed and expanded to connect the 22 governorates and most of their
districts. The length of asphalt roods have increased from 7553 km in 2001 to
13127km in 2007, and the carvel roods increased from 6428km to 18,000km
in the same period. Some villages on high mountains or in remote areas have
not been reached. Meanwhile, Yemen is now connected with the neighboring
countries (Oman Saudi Arabia) through international asphalt roads. Besides
roods networking transportation sector is being reformed.
The Government has initiated steps to reform the Land Transportation Sector.
In December 2008, Decree No 291 was ratified leading to the establishment
of a new independent authority, the Land Transportation Affairs Authority
(LTAA). The new body will complement the functions of the Ministry of
Transport in regulating the sector and helping to promote private investment
and competition. In the past, the sector was dominated by private cartel-link
arrangements in the trucking sector, and by single public transportation
company. Currently, Yemen has eight different licensed public transport
companies, which adequately serve the public transport needs between major
cities, but remains inadequate for smaller cities and rural areas. This shortage
has been seen as one of the contributing factors to the wide spread poverty
incidence in rural areas. The authority is currently implementing a marketing
and advertising campaign to attract new operators in the sector, which has so
far secured around 10 contracts in the international land transportation, thus
helping to strengthen the network between Yemen, Oman, KSA and UAE.
Three land ports are in the process of establishing in Haradh, Aden, an
Alwadeeah, which once completed will facilitate trade with neighboring
countries, help to raise additional traffic revenue, reduce customs evasion and
promote economic activities in those areas. Other objectives of the LTAA
include the establishment of inspection stations and motorist rest areas on
major highways. Additionally, the LTAA with the support of private investment
is planning to develop the checkpoints at all major cities, which will include
establishing commercial markets parking and warehouses to further empower
investment in the sector.
Air transportation is administered through 6 international and 2 secondary
airports. They are equipped enough to provide international standard of
logistic and safety services. Similarly, marine see transportations is managed
through 5 big and 2 small ports on the cost of the Red Sea, Aden Gulf, and
Arab Sea. Aden port is the most important due to its location near to the door
between the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, its shallowness to receive large
ships. The container terminal, and oil refineries are built near to it. Foreign air
and marine companies are encouraged to use these ports, and private sector
is promoted to operationalize them. Mail services is provided through 258
postal offices and 58 agencies with 22825 rented P.O.Box and 58 public
boxes. They serve ordinary and excellent mails, money transfer and deposit,
and bills collection.
Urbanization is planned to create new cities with wide streets, national
gardens, and basic services facility. The first tow big cities enjoy 40% of the
urban sewage system, the second two enjoy 20%, and the remaining 22 cities
enjoy the remaining 40%. A big WB project has developed the main port
cities.
Technology: Telecommunication and information technology has been
introduced with very high growth rates in the last few years. Anew fiber optic
network has been completed covering most of Yemen and lenking it to
international cable. Based on the annual SCO report, 2007, more than 1
million telephone lines operated reaching, hence, the teledensity target of 5
lines per 100 people; internet subscribers were 205,613 person; 4.3 million
cellular phones used (66% provided by the private sector); 11,684
telecommunication center and internet cafes opened; at home computer users
were 43,309 households of 100,625 members, and out side were 46628
households of 72610 member; at home internet users were 16008 household
of 31970 member, and outside were 36610 of 57177 members, (95%) in both
cases were in urban areas.
Business Environment: The supply of commercial land with secure legal tittle
has been very constrained. Access to land and security of property rights
have been obstacles to new investors. The General Investment Authority has
reported recently that 9200 licensed investment projects did not materialize
between 1992-2008 because of land disputes. Therefore, to remove this
constraints, the Government reformed the land registration system by a new
law that will help remove vagueness and reduce conflict about land ownership
and its use. It will reduce land transaction costs and risks associated with new
investment, while taking care of the poor. Beside the land reform, procedures
are simplified. An automated information system for customs data,
ASYCUDA, PLUS, has been implemented in all major ports and airports,
covering 97% of Yemeni imports. It is, also, accessible for the tax authority,
the Central Bank, CSO, and some 300 commercial companies. ASYCUDA
help improve custom valuation and clearance processes that should reduce
the cost of doing business. A joint initiative of UNDP, IFC, and Ministry of
Industry and Trade improved the way of doing business in Yemen by
introducing e. registration and simplification system; hence, Yemen global
rank lowered from 123 (2008) to 93 (2009) out of 181 countries.
The UNDAF has helped establish a micro-finance network build national
capacities, and increase micro-credit clients at national level to reach the
poorest of the poor.
The Parliament has passed a Microfinance Law to promote microcredit in the
rural and urban areas, with the final objective of promoting a pro-poor growth
and reducing unemployment. Furthermore, it seeks to enhance social stability
and equality of opportunities especially to the underprivileged categories in
the society. The law regulates the establishment of microfinance institutions
under the supervision of the CBY, and sets their minimum capital requirement
at YR500 million. There are many issues which have hindered the
development of financing to small entrepreneurs in Yemen in the past,
including scant investment information and feasibility studies, the weakness of
the domestic market, and the lack of promotional efforts to attract clients.
Since 2003, the Social Found for Development (SFD) has been taking the
lead role in implementing microfinance in Yemen. These efforts are
implemented through Economic Development and a Job Creation Program,
which channels microfinance services through intermediary entities such as
NGOs, Microfinance Institutions (MFI) and banks. As a result of these efforts,
there are 13 active microfinance institutions in Yemen, with total outreach
estimated at approximately 35,000 clients (80 percent women), a combined
loan portfolio of US$7 million, and an average loan size of US$97. The
cumulative number of dispersed loans has reached more than 216,000 during
the past ten years. The SFD also took charge of formulating the National
Strategy for the Development of Small and Micro Enterprises, and the current
microfinance law.
Agriculture: Low rates of rainfall, long periods of drought, deep depletion of
ground water, cash-crop, (e.g. Qat) competition are the man constraints of
productive agricultural sector.
However, the sector grows modestly to score growth rate of 2.85% in 2008
compared to 5.63% in 2007. Similarly Agro-industry is still limited to canning
some fruits and beans, and it declined within the industry sector to 3,52% in
2008 against growth rate of 6.22 in 2007. But this sector still present
promising opportunity for investment based on scientific researches, and
modern technology, which are rare especially for economic irrigation. An IFAD
project in one governorate, Thamr, proved possible success by provision of
agricultural demonstration and extension services. It helped increase crop
yield as: millet 25% sorghum 45% wheat and maize 100%, potatoes 34%,
coffee 150% and honey 91%. Such venture in other governorates along with
extensive studies and research on potential water reserve, building rainfall
cultivation and irrigation, and extension. This policy shall serve well rural
development and food security.
Mining: Public and private and foreign investments continue to focus on oil
industry, exploration, extraction, and marketing, which obsesses 90% of
export, 50% of foreign trade, 75% of public budget, and 30% of GDP,
although declining in an accelerating rates as of 7.89% in 2008 offer 11.68%
in 2007.
Energy:
A new electricity law makes electricity a national priority and sets a new
regulatory framework for the sector, particularly with issues related to the role
of private and foreign producers and government procurement guidelines. The
law includes provisions for improving the quality of electrical and the
development of energy diversifications with more focus on the renewable and
permanent sources of energy. In addition, the Cabinet has approved of
establishing an independent authority for rural electricity that will focus to
increase the electrification of rural areas. The new authority will initially be
linked to the national grid for a period of ten years while increasing its efforts
on investing in new power stations to facilitate independency from national
grids. Meanwhile, Yemen continued to experience power shortages amidst
further delays in the strategy for the expansion plans that use natural gas for
power generation. Yemen is currently working on two projects, Marib I, which
has been completed though not launched due delays in substation instillation
and Marib II, which has now begun and is expected to be complete in 2011.
Yemen is planning to increase reliance on power generation from renewable
sources. In an effort to reduce the power deficit and meet its goals of
providing electricity in the rural areas. The Ministry of Electricity and Energy
(MEE) is reviewing plans to ivest in generating capacity from renewable
sources such as wind and solar. Currently, the Ministry is in the final stages of
finalizing a deal for a 60MW wind farm project in Al-Makha province with a
partial financing from the World Bank. It is anticipated that the project, one of
the highest levels of solar radiation with average of 6.8 – 5.2kw/m2 per day,
making the potential for wind energy very feasible. Recent studies have
shown that Yemen has massive wind energy potential; Al-Makha province for
renewable energy remains optimistic; however, more attentions and reforms
are required by the government in order for the sector to flourish and to
remedy the continuing power shortages. The challenges facing the
development of renewable energy.
Tourism:
History, art, environment are among many factor qualifying Yemen for
different purposes of tourism. Therefore tourism is among the overriding
promising sectors. The sector is led by supreme council chaired by the Prime
Ministry, promoting council, and special ministry formed in 2003.
The sector is living a period of stagnation for two main reason: (1) the bad
image and impression that Westerners perceive about security in Yemen
because of the rare terrorist attacks and the juvenile kidnapping that take
place very often (2) lack of exposure and advertisement about the touristic
potentiality in Yemen although Yemen participate in the big regional and
international exhibitions.
These constraints should be removed in the near future to provide better
enabling environment for investment in this dynamic sector all over the
country.
Efforts shall continue to optimize globalization opportunities through, security
law refining and adjustment, stronge and more expanded infrastructure, urban
and rural, development researches.

Commitment 5. Enhancing the role of trade in development:

Great attention is paid to trade sector for its relative advantage in providing
the development needs of capital and expendable commodities. Externally,
trade is promoted to market the domestic product surplus, attract investments,
transfer technology, and integrate the national economy with the international
trade. Internally, trade is organized to expand and diversify the productive
bases, maintain demand-supply balance in the domestic market taking into
account the increasing growth of population and their needs.
Such roles of trade are inhanced though improved infrastructures, reformed
institutions and legislations, simplified customs procedures, initiated industrial
zones, investment incentives, competent apparatus of standardization and
quality control, and activated foreign trade relations, including ratified
agreements of technical cooperation for export promotion and elimination of
tax duplication. Based on the 2nd UNDAF review, (1) institutional capacity of
the Ministries of Agriculture and of Fish Welth were enhanced to monitor,
promote, and better manage quality control of exports. (2) ground has been
laid to increase high quality productivity of fruits, vegetables and fishery for
export, within the policy of economic diversification. (3) a joint initiative of
UNDP, the IFC, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade has introduced e-
registration and simplification system within the policy of improved way of
doing business, and restructuring of the Ministry was supported to help it
provide more effective support to expansion of manufacturing and trading
establishments.
Based on the final evaluation of the 2nd, DP, the trade sector achieved notable
development during the period 2000-2005 with positive avcrage indicators as
follows: (1) shares in GDP; exports 35%, commodity imports 27,7% trade
balance 7.3%, foreign trade 61,1%, crude oil 31,8% (88.8% of exports while
agriculture share 2%, fisheries 41% and industries 7% of commodity export).
The average percentage of exports to imports amounted to 131.3% due to
increased revenues of oil exports the DPPR aims to increase non-oil
commodity exports to 19% of total exports by 2010. Trade continued
overdependence on oil export (90% of total exports and 50% of total foreign
trade though declining in quantity and witnessing unstable in price) and the
indicators inclined in favor of imports and trade balance deficits as reported in
the years 2007 and 2008.

Trade balance as % of GDP

Indicators 2007 2008
Exports 29.7 31.3
Imports 31.5 32.5
Trade balance -1.8 -1.2
Source: Central Bank of Yemen 2008.

Regionally, Yemen is reinforcing the economic partnership and develop in

trade exchange with the GCC state through establishing two Economic and
Commercial Zones on the Yemeni-Saudi and Yemeni-Omani borders,
including two Free Trade Zones. These zones aim at accelerating the
processes of integration with the GCC economies, providing intensive job
opportunities and improving the competitive quality of Yemeni exports. In
addition, Yemen join the treaty of Great Arab Duty – Free Zone. In compliance
with the treaty, annual tariff decreasing started in 2005 by 16% to reach zero
tariff by 2010. More broadly, Yemen enjoys good trade relations with the other
regional blocks and individual countries in Asia, Europs, and America. The
Government has approved the treaties of tax facilitation and establishing duty
– Free Zone among Sana'a Gathering Countries which includes 4 LDCs,
Yemen, Sudan, Eithiopia, Somalia and Djibouti.
The Government is actively pursuing WTO accession process. (1) Yemen was
accepting to hold an observer status in WTO, (2) and its application for full
membership was accepted in July 2000.
During the fifth meeting that was held in Geneva in October 2008, WTO
members reviewed Yemen's legislative reforms to bring its trade system in
line with WTO rules. The meeting also dicussed Yemen's accession
requirements including the implementation of Financial & Economic Reforms,
the benefits from the applied economic policies since the reform and
mechanism to create a trade-related legislative environment compliant with
WTO agreements. Yemen is currently reforming its customs law and
implementing the new taxation reforms, in addition, the GOY has implemented
new trade standards along with the ICCP that together will work towards
improving trade quality and ultimately increases trading with Yemen.
Furthermore, in 2008, Yemen conducted the WTO Trade Facilitation National
Assessment (TFNA), which was an opportunity to self-assess the country
Trade facilitation needs and priorities. Yemen became the first WTO acceding
country to conduct its TFNA. This exercise provided data and information that
are currently supporting the TF and would pave the way to the WTO
membership.
New initiatives to enhanced trade also aim to tackle quality standards. In the
past, the lack of clear and enforceable standards for Yemeni products has
been seen as a significant barrier to trade and foreign investment. The Yemen
Standardization, Metrology and Quality Control Organization (YSMQCO),
established in 2000, is the lead authority in promoting these efforts. As of
2008, YSMQCO has prepared some 2700 standards and specifications, and
designed procedures to verify conformity in various fields such as production,
construction, distribution, importing and exporting of goods. Two recent
developments are noteworthy. First, in early Feb 2009, YSMQCO enrolled in
the International Conformity Certificate Program (ICCP), which issues
certificates of conformity for a range of specialized products and goods to
international standards. Under the two-year agreement signed recently,
Yemeni imports that are covered by the program will be validated by ICCP at
source, therefore minimizing the time required for their clearance at local ports
upon entry. Another recent development is the decision taken by the GCC
during its Muscat Summit to allow YSMQCO to become a full member to the
Gulf Standard Organization (GSO). This decision is expected to take effect in
2009 after completing some of the administrative steps. These two events will
help Yemen to enhance the competitiveness of its exports and cut the red
tape in customs administration. With compliance remaining another major
issue, the Ministry of Trade is expanding YSMQCO offices and laboratories
nationwide to implement the new standards as well as combating and
arresting smuggled imports that do not comply with the international or
national standards.
Nevertheless, trade sector still faces considerable challenges which require
more effective efforts to be removed. These challenges include absolute
dependence on one commodity export, oil, lack of diversified and qualitatively
completive exports, external and national laws conflict, weakness of marketing
and information, and monitoring and expansion of random trade activities.
Such challenges shall continue in the coming agenda of reforms and
development.

Commitment 6. Reducing Vulnerability and protecting the environment

The institutional and regulatory buildings have been laid for management and
equitably sustainable use of natural resources and for environment protection.
As reported above. The necessary capacities and policy measures have been
prepared to meet the national and international requirements. Through the
UNDAF and others assistance, valuable, though limited, projects have been
implemented on Integrated Resource Management, Sustainable Development
and Biodiversity Conservation in Sector. Islands (Yemen) Sustainable
National Resources Management, Local Water Supply and Sanitation,
institutional capacity development for the Clean Development Mechanism
rural development, National Mine Action Programme, and second National
Communication. These interventions could help develop the environmental
institutions, laws, strategies, and National Adaptation Programme (NAPA),
and National Communication and its preparatory studies on different climate
change impacts (mainly on water resources, agricultural crops, and costal
areas) they also developed community based protected areas, impact
assessments (40) disaster management units (3), relevant training
Information, awareness and popular advocacy and involvement.
The sustainability and follow-up of such achievement seem at risk due to the
public budgetary constrains, donors hesitation and slow response to national
measures while private sector look indifferent although the regional and
international meetings and negotiations are attended. The climate unit has a
list of follow up projects waiting for finance to be prepared and implemented to
reduce CO2 and greenhouse gases emissions and promote the use of
renewable energy resource. At the community level, the grass root majority,
mainly rural, are ignorant about the new environmental threats to their lives
and livelihoods. This is attributed to high illiteracy rates, short outreach of the
implemented projects, and lack of qualified CBOs advocating environmental
issues.
Nevertheless, the progress made, so for, is considerable, but it is un-
equivalent to the huge challenges presented by: (1) cute scarcity of water,
ground and rainfall, due to long period drought, high rates of random use
running twice the replenishment levels, leading to further depletion of water
resources and threading the survival of rural and urban areas, (2) expanded
desertification, soil and wide banks erosion, and vegetation cover
degradation, and (3) the increased consumption of chemical and carbon
substances and green house gases.
(Yemen, with 0.3% of world population, accounts for 0.1% of global emissions
an average of 1.0 to nets of CO2 per person and below levels of Arab States.

Commitment 7. Mobilizing financial resource:

Development infrastructures and investments depend mostly on the public
finance allocated within the government budgetary framework, the state
budget which is mobilized as in 2007 from oil and gas revenues 67% of total
public revenues, 20-1% of GDP in 2007 (76% & 26% in 2008 estimates) (2)
non-oil revenues-direct/indirect tax and non-tax revenues; 33% of total
revenues & 9.9% of GDP in 2007 (24% & 8.1% in 2008 estimates). Public
expenditures covered 36.7% of GDP, including (1) current expenditures: 78%
of total expenditures & 28% of GDP in 2007 (80.6% & 32% in 2008 estimates)
(2) capital and investment expenditures; 17.9% of total expenditure & 6.6 of
GDP in 2007 (17.3% & 7% in 2008 estimates). The total public revenues
could cover 81.4% of expenditures in 2007 (84.6 in 2008), while local and
external financing could leave a deficit of 5.3% of GDP in 2007 (decreased to
3.2% in 2008) to cover the deficit. The Government resort to external debt,
$5894.4 million, 20.5% of GDP and 69.9% of total public debt, and local debt -
8.8% of GDP and 30.1% of total public debt as at end 2008. Policy of
rationalized expenditure and flexible taxation is pursuit but constrained by
continuous expanded current expenditures and unstable tax structure. Despite
the social unrest, oil subsidy had been reduced from 5% to 1% of GDP in
2001-2005, the government plans to go further as the subsidy bill has been
pushed by 2008 souring price to $3.5 billion – 12% of GDP).
The authorities has initiated a number of reforms in the financial sectors.
These reforms include (1) passage of a deposit insurance law and
establishment of a related corporation; elimination of restrictions on foreign
ownership and allow commercial banks to open an Islamic branch (3) A micro
finance law to help establish non-banking financial institution; (4) Boosting the
internal capacity of the Central Bank (CBY) in enforcing existing prudential
standard and regulations of the banking sector. The CBY proved its
competence to some extent, in keeping constant interest rate at 13%,
absorbing the surplus cash flow, mostly through treasury bills controlling
relative exchange rate. However, the overall inflation showed a marked
increase from an average of 12.2 in 2005 to percentage of 18.5 in 2006 and
17.6% in 2007 (reaching from 19% in 2008 estimates), exceeding the targets
of the planning frameworks (2001-2015). it was pushed by inevitable
increasing international commodity price and cash flow and offer (35-38.8 of
GDP in 2004-2007). Banking transactions improved from 22.5-25.5% GDP,
and 60.4% of total banking deposits (13.7% GDP) was lended to private
sector (50.1%) and the government (49.9%). There is an imbalance in the
economic structure that deepens the gap of potential resources and
constrains mobilizing a large proportion of national income to savings and,
then, to investment. The national savings share was 4.4% of the national
disposable in come in 2007, despite the growth from 16.3% in 2004 to 20.1%
in 2006.
More than 50% of development financings anticipated from external support in
from of ODA and concessional loans associated with grants, long grace
period and long, schedule of payment. To warrant increasing support from
development partners (DPs), the government uphold the principles of aid
effectiveness, vigorous reform and good governance, debt sustainability,
sound fiscal management, nationwide equalities, and development of a virtual
community of continuous real-time information exchange, coordination,
partnership and action among the full range of development financing
stakeholders. After the London CG, the Government and her DPs intered into
a development compact of common but different commitments. With the DPs
support, the government commitments includes (1) strengthened institutional,
human and financial capacities to effectively manage and implemented donor
funded projects, (2) establishing a trucking and reporting system with a
timetable all stages of the project cycle implementation, (3) continued and
deepened implementation of the national reform agenda, and (4) establishing
a fast system for parliamentary approval of all donor funded projects. The DPs
commitments include (1) providing indicator allocations and minimizing the
delay of activity initiation and resource release (2) considering resources
leverage, and parallel and co-financing and institutionalizing collaboration and
coordination between multilateral OECD, and GCC donors. The UNCT is
preparing their offices and the national authorities to use a harmonized
system for cash transfer to national implementing partners (HACT). These
trends go in the directions of Monterey, Consensus and Paris Declaration;
however, implementation of both has not been official assessed.

IV. The impact of the global crisis on Yemen

As of April 19, 2009, firm quantitative estimates of the impact of the ongoing
global economic crisis cannot be made because of the lack of relevant macro
data. The most obvious channels of impact are the price of oil and economic
growth in the Gulf countries that are a major source of remittance income and
foreign investment flows for Yemen. For the moment, the following
observations are pertinent.
a) Yemen has a relatively small exposure to foreign banks and its financial
market remains underdeveloped. This limits the risk of contagion from the
financial side of the global crisis. The Government announced on several
occasions that its foreign reserves were largely unaffected by the crisis. As of
February 2009, the central bank foreign reserves exceeded US $ 7 billion or
about 11 months of 2008 level of imports.
b) Currently, oil accounts for two thirds of public revenue and 90 percent of
export receipts. The collapse in the price of oil since the middle of 2008 will
certainly affect public revenues and current account balance although the
timing and impact will be determined in part by the terms of existing oil
contracts. After allowing for the reduced expenditure on fuel subsidies and
petroleum product imports as the international prices have fallen, it is
estimated that the partial effect of the expected halving of oil prices in 2009
compared to the previous year would increase fiscal deficit by 3 percent of
GDP and current account balance by 7 percent of GDP.
c) The crisis could reduce the flow of FDI to both the oil and non-oil sectors.
The former will be affected by the lower return in the sector, although
moderating international costs for drilling and exploration could be an
offsetting factor. In the non-oil sector, the crisis is likely to lower FDI flows,
which come mostly from the Gulf and tend to concentrate in tourism, real
estate, and some manufacturing industries. The size of non-hydrocarbon FDI
has been small less than US $ 100 million in the last 4 years.
d) Yemen has a large expatriate population in the Gulf and elsewhere and
remittances could be adversely affected if the crisis deepens. Currently,
remittances are estimated at 5-6 percent of GDP. Remittance inflows are
larger than non-hydrocarbon exports by 50 percent.
e) There is some evidence of adverse effects on non-hydrocarbon exports.
Fish is the main non-hydrocarbon export product and is marketed mainly in
Asia and the neighboring Arab countries. With economic slowdown in the
main importing countries, exports of non-hydrocarbons could be adversely
affected. Trading firms report difficulties in obtaining trade finance facilities
from commercial banks. Although not increasing their lending rates
substantially, commercial banks have increased the margin requirement for
issuing letters of credit for importers. Preliminary data from the Customs
Authorities show a marked drop in customs revenues since the beginning of
the year (see figure). Yemen’s tourism earnings
could also be affected by the global recession, compounded by the perceived
increase in security threats. Most tourists to Yemen originate from Europe and
the Middle-East and in good times tourism earnings have amounted to a third
of non-hydrocarbon exports.

V. Conclusion and Way Forward:

The situation in Yemen remain increasingly complex as the country still faces
a series of challenges and emergencies. Yemen suffers from chronic
underdevelopment and is both a low income and food-deficit country suffering
from week infrastructure, widespread poverty and unemployment, low health
and education indicators, and gender disparities. Despite its improvement
scored on the human development index the country remain stuck in the
group of the world's least developed and low human development countries.
Based on this and the other assessments, Yemen is vigorously trying and
making moderate progress on the development truck; nonetheless, it is still
unable to reach, on time, the targets of the national policy frameworks, the
BPoA, and MDGs. Without substantial redirection of policies, injection of
additional funds, and institutional and human capacity building.
Although decreased from 3.7% in 1994 to 3% in present, the high population
growth rate remains an underlying cause of many of problems that Yemen
faces. Therefore, population planning shall remain among the overriding
development priorities in the future.
The economic development, path in Yemen is marked by overdependence on
the capital intensive oil sector, with little attention to creating the conditions for
sustained growth associated with above all poverty reduction. As this path
proved to be unsafe, new policies are needed to foster diverse local
supporting industries, create employment, and strength communities, invest in
human capital through better designed and funded policies of health and
education coupled with better social protection that minimize regional and
gender.
The institutional and regularity reforms initiated shall be materialized and
enforced to ensure good governance in all its dimensions, including
democracy, human rights, rule of low, transparency, inclusion and economic
governance. This is essential for effectively mobilizing domestic financial
resources, attracting foreign direct investment and creating stable and
encouraging environment for a gender balanced and private sector
development and efficient decentralization.
In the case of Yemen the themes of the BPoA and the outcomes of its
ministerial and high level MTR are still important priorities of concern to be
readdressed by the UN IV with a new look in line the global economic,
financial, and environmental developments.
The UN IV should emphasize the necessary improvement of access to the
different from of development financing for the low income countries which
suffer as well from fragile economy, vulnerability to challenges of climate
change, draught and food security, and frequent natural disaster and ma??
made crisis and conflicts. The financing shall be governed by the principles of
national ownership, and fair and flexible terms of trade, loans and access to
the regional, and international markets, organizations and economic
groupings.