Marib Governorate's Deputy Governor, Abdurabbu Muftah, on Wednesday, August 14th, 2024, launched the distribution of micro-enterprise grants to 93 displaced individuals in the governorate, which currently shelters over two million internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The Yemeni news agency Saba reported that the distribution is part of a "Vocational Training and Skills Support Project" implemented by the Small and Micro-Enterprise Development Agency, affiliated with the Social Fund for Development, in nine governorates. This project is funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center and implemented in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme.

The grants include comprehensive tools for professions in areas such as food production, mobile phone repair for women, household appliance repair, and veterinary services. The agency will provide technical support to beneficiaries during the initial months of their ventures to assist with problem-solving and overcoming challenges.

The project aims to equip beneficiaries with skills and professions that enable them to establish small and micro-enterprises, improving their families' livelihoods. The project has a budget of four million US dollars, according to Saba.

During the launch, Deputy Governor Muftah listened to a presentation by the project officer at the agency, Salah Al-Manbari, regarding the project, which has targeted 1,533 beneficiaries in Aden, Lahj, Marib, Abyan, Taiz, Hadhramaut, Mahra, Shabwa, and Al-Dhale'e governorates.

Muftah praised the project, calling it "vital and sustainable," emphasizing its focus on human development and assisting the community, particularly young people and women among the displaced and host communities, in building their skills for income-generating professions.

He highlighted that this initiative "helps beneficiaries transition from receiving aid to becoming producers, business owners, and participants in development and reconstruction, contributing to improving their families' livelihoods."

Marib Governorate, located in northeastern Yemen, hosts 2,274,453 displaced persons, representing 73.67% of the total IDP population in liberated governorates, according to the latest statistics from the Executive Unit for the Management of IDP Camps, a government entity.