The World Bank approves additional funds for Yemen’s activities on health, nutrition, WASH

YEMEN – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a grant of US$150 million to finance the implementation of the Yemen Emergency Human Capital Project (YEHCP).

Compounding the impact of the conflict, a series of catastrophic events and escalating food prices, food insecurity, and fragmented delivery of services have adversely affected the country’s systems to respond to basic needs.

The Yemen Emergency Human Capital Project will focus on four priority areas including improving healthcare and nutrition services at primary health care centers and hospitals.

With this new project, Yemen aims to better healthcare, enhance water supply and sanitation services, strengthen local systems as well as provide comprehensive project support and management.

The International Development Association grant is critical to the delivery of essential health, nutrition, and water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services across the country.

In a press release, Tania Meyer, World Bank Country Manager for Yemen, stated: “With this additional financing, we will remain laser-focused on preserving essential health, nutrition, and WASH services while enhancing local systems for delivery.”

In related news, the Kingdom of Morocco recently secured US$450 million in loan financing from the World Bank to improve access to healthcare services for the entire population.

Similarly, the World Bank offered the Senegalese government a US$50 million line of credit to assist in its endeavors to digitalize its healthcare system.

The Yemen Emergency Human Capital Project is strongly aligned with the World Bank Group’s efforts to help governments achieve universal health coverage by 2030.

It is pertinent to bear in mind that the World Bank’s country-wide program for Yemen has reached US$3.9 billion in IDA grants since 2016.

In addition to funding, the World Bank provides technical expertise to design projects and guide their implementation.

The World Bank builds strong partnerships with United Nations (UN) agencies and local institutions with working capacity on the ground to manage project implementation issues.

Moreover, the World Bank prioritizes investing in strategic projects and initiatives that contribute to strengthening the country’s systems throughout the embattled nation.

The recent IDA grant comes as part of a Second Additional Financing (AF2) for the Yemen Emergency Human Capital Project.

As of March 31, 2023, 8.4 million beneficiaries had been served by the Yemen Emergency Human Capital Project, exceeding its initial target.

The health and nutrition program alone has helped over 4.49 million women and over three million children, with sustained, high coverage of critical maternal and child health services offered at over 2,000 health facilities.

In addition to the success of this program, water supply and sanitation measures have provided over 450,000 individuals, 48.5 percent of whom were women and girls, with improved access.

The Yemen Emergency Human Capital Project is also expected to directly benefit millions of people who are still facing acute food insecurity.

“The scale of the deterioration of human capital in Yemen is alarming. In 2023 alone, nearly 21.6 million people, which is roughly three-quarters of the population and includes a staggering 12.9 million children, are in dire need of assistance,” said Tania Meyer.

In the next phase, the YEHCP seeks to buttress institutional capacity and strengthen the health, water, and sanitation system’s capacity.

A vital aspect of this enhancement includes bolstering surveillance, enhancing early detection services, and reinforcing the expertise of healthcare professionals.

The additional financing will also support Yemen’s health information management system to collect quality data for health policy and service delivery.

Ultimately, the fresh funds will be used to improve coverage and quality of basic services offered and resilience against cyclical communicable disease outbreaks.

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