World Bank Approves $150 Mn for Better Health, Nutrition in Yemen

Two million Yemeni children face the threat of extreme malnutrition (UN)
Two million Yemeni children face the threat of extreme malnutrition (UN)
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World Bank Approves $150 Mn for Better Health, Nutrition in Yemen

Two million Yemeni children face the threat of extreme malnutrition (UN)
Two million Yemeni children face the threat of extreme malnutrition (UN)

The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved an International Development Association (IDA) grant amounting to $150 million as a Second Additional Financing (AF2) for the Yemen Emergency Human Capital Project (YEHCP).

The financing is set to continue delivering essential health, nutrition, water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services while strengthening the country's systems throughout the embattled nation.

The Bank highlighted that a series of catastrophic events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, measles outbreaks, a cholera epidemic, a locust invasion, and flooding, coupled with escalating food prices, food insecurity, and fragmented delivery of services have adversely affected the country's systems to respond to basic needs.

- Four Key Areas

The project focuses on four main areas: improving healthcare and nutrition services at primary healthcare centers and hospitals, enhancing water supply and sanitation services, strengthening local systems, and providing comprehensive project support and management.

The additional financing aims to bolster institutional capacity and strengthen the health, water, and sanitation system's ability to improve coverage and quality of essential services and resilience against cyclical infectious disease outbreaks.

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 the country's health information management system to collect quality data for health policy and service delivery.

According to the World Bank's data, As of March 31, 2023, 8.4 million beneficiaries had been served by the 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.

Furthermore, water supply and sanitation measures have provided over 450,000 individuals, 48.5 percent of whom were women and girls, with improved access.

However, based on the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), 17 million people still face acute food insecurity.

Acute malnutrition plagues two million children and 1.3 million pregnant and lactating women. It is a fight against time and deteriorating human conditions.

World Bank Country Manager for Yemen Tania Meyer emphasized the race against time and the deteriorating humanitarian conditions, voicing concerns over the alarming decline of human capital in Yemen.

"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," she said.

"With this additional financing, we will remain laser-focused on preserving essential health, nutrition, and WASH services while enhancing local systems for delivery. It is imperative that partners continue to collaborate and innovate with scale and urgency to support the country."

The World Bank's country-wide program for Yemen has reached $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 by building solid partnerships with UN agencies and local institutions with working capacity on the ground.



Iraq’s Sudani Confirms Election Bid, Invites Syria’s al-Sharaa to Arab Summit in Baghdad

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani at the Sulaymaniyah Forum (Asharq Al-Awsat) 
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani at the Sulaymaniyah Forum (Asharq Al-Awsat) 
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Iraq’s Sudani Confirms Election Bid, Invites Syria’s al-Sharaa to Arab Summit in Baghdad

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani at the Sulaymaniyah Forum (Asharq Al-Awsat) 
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani at the Sulaymaniyah Forum (Asharq Al-Awsat) 

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced his intention to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections and confirmed that Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been officially invited to attend the Arab League Summit in Baghdad, scheduled for May 17.

Speaking at the Sulaymaniyah Forum on Wednesday, al-Sudani addressed political leaders and government officials, presenting his government’s accomplishments and vision. He emphasized Iraq’s renewed efforts to assert its role in the Arab world, saying: “We aim to host a successful Arab summit in Baghdad that reflects the country’s strategic importance and provides a platform for addressing critical regional issues”.

Al-Sudani noted that the summit will be an opportunity to build joint mechanisms to deal with shared challenges.

“President Ahmad al-Sharaa is welcome in Baghdad. We’ve extended an official invitation for his participation,” he said.

On regional tensions, particularly between the United States and Iran, al-Sudani stressed the importance of diplomacy.

“We have officially welcomed both direct and indirect negotiations between the two sides, and we hope they lead to peaceful outcomes that serve regional stability,” he underlined.

Turning to domestic politics, al-Sudani confirmed he will run in the November 2025 elections but declined to name the coalition he will represent. He urged voters to distinguish between effective political programs and what he called the “recycling of failed and corrupt agendas.”

He credited the progress of his government to support from key political alliances, particularly the State Administration Coalition and the Coordination Framework.

Meanwhile, Iraqi political parties are beginning to shape their election strategies, following the Electoral Commission’s announcement that it has opened registration for candidate lists. Sources suggest the Coordination Framework may splinter into four main groups due to internal disagreements, though alliances with smaller factions are seen as more viable.

On the sidelines of the forum, al-Sudani met with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani. The two leaders stressed the importance of keeping Iraq neutral amid regional conflicts and supporting peaceful resolutions.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s office said both parties agreed on maintaining strong coordination between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to safeguard national unity and serve Iraq’s long-term interests.