[02/07/2026 11:44]

HAMBURG – SABA

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Dr. Afrah al-Zouba called for a stronger international focus on long-term resilience and economic recovery during talks with Acting Executive Director of the World Food Programme Carl Skau on the sidelines of the 2026 Hamburg Sustainability Conference.

The discussions centered on the future of food assistance in Yemen, with particular emphasis on expanding access to vulnerable groups while reducing delivery costs through greater reliance on local markets. The two sides also explored ways to strengthen support for farmers, fishermen, and local producers as part of a broader effort to stimulate livelihoods alongside humanitarian assistance.

Joined by Yemen's Ambassador to Germany Louay al-Eryani, Dr. al-Zouba stressed that food assistance should increasingly complement national social protection programmes and school feeding initiatives, arguing that closer integration would help translate emergency aid into lasting development gains.

She said Yemen's priority is to move beyond a cycle of humanitarian dependence by investing in resilience, strengthening communities, and creating sustainable economic opportunities.

The minister also warned that shrinking international funding threatens humanitarian operations in Yemen, urging development partners to intensify advocacy efforts and give greater attention to fragile states within the G20 agenda. She noted that Yemen continues to shoulder the consequences of global challenges, including climate change, despite contributing little to their causes.

For his part, Skau reaffirmed the World Food Programme's commitment to maintaining its support for Yemen, while emphasizing the importance of sustained donor engagement and increased investment in national capacity, resilience, and long-term development.This version is built around a news angle ("shift from aid to resilience") instead of following the Arabic paragraph sequence. It also eliminates repetitive meeting language and reads like an original wire-service dispatch rather than a translated government report.

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